Occupation of Gaza: End of killing! Germany has to act

The Israeli government now wants to completely conquer the Gaza strip; She wants to escalate this murderous war a level. There will be more deaths, women, old people, children.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s office communicated this decision to the army reference to a threat on Monday evening: either he implemented it or he should step down. This is how Israeli media report.

It alone illustrates what a brutal, militarily contrary decision made its government: apparently Netanyahu, head of government, no longer only calculates only in their own population with massive resistance, but also in military leadership.

Even before deciding on the invasion, the country’s former military and intelligence officers had pushed for an end to the war in a historical statement. All of the goals that can be achieved militarily have been achieved.

Ex-government chief Ehud Olmert has accused his own country of severe war crimes for weeks. An overwhelming majority of the Israeli population demands an end to war. Likewise, many relatives of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas do it.

But Netanyahu does not listen to his people or the experts. And no, also not on the hostage members. Instead, members of government parties make fun of them. The head of government is driven by such extremists in his government and, above all, tries to turn his own political fate.

The war in Gaza should be over for months. Germany believed that the Israeli government can be influenced for too long. Also because these gave Germans the feeling that their interventions would bring something, at least alleviate suffering. But that also changed last. So that in German diplomatic circles the impression of a delay tactic remained.

Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul from Israel returned four days ago. He was received there by an extremist cabinet member as a “Nazi supporter”, which means Hamas. After the joint discussion, his colleague of Foreign Ministers publicly instructed him about the allegedly historical demands of Israel on the West Bank. Both show how little serious the current government is still taking the Germans.

In Israel – as Chancellor Friedrich Merz – called for an armistice and a fundamental change of course in Israel. He warned of a mass extinction of hunger in Gaza. The decision for the complete investigation now confirms the opposite of all promises on the Israeli side.

Therefore, the German government must now act together with the European partners: The association agreement with the EU should be suspended, at least in part. There should be sanctions against the extremist cabinet members who support settler power in West Bank. In addition, arms exports should be stopped in public.

It now needs a cool head to end this war: a general boycott of Israeli products that demonize Israel as a country, like the immediate recognition of Palestine as a state, is one of the less sensible demands. Not because the goal of a two-state solution would be wrong, but to offer Israel a way out of this war. Palestine’s recognition would rather bind even more liberal forces in the country to the current government. It can make peace less likely to extend dying in Gaza and West Bank.

Yes, it’s true. This renewed escalation was apparently triggered by a video of an Israeli hostel published by Hamas allied. The video reminds us of the starting point of the war: the bestial massacre of October 7, in which more than 1200 Israelis, mostly Jews, died.

Netanyahu is now falling into the traps of the terrorists: they feed on the continuation of the war while waiting in the tunnels under Gaza at the end. And: The last hostages will only come free if there is peace.

There are two other reasons why Germany has to help end the war through pressure.

Hamas is no longer weakened by the procedure in Gaza. The Islamist terrorist group now gains ideologically with every bomb on a residential building in sympathy in the world and most likely also to people who would be willing to die in the future. This is not primarily due to Hamas’s propaganda, as the Israeli government claims, but because of the deadly reality in Gaza. It has been proven in many ways.

The German State Räson applies to the protection of the state of Israel. However, it does not apply to the unconditional protection of a government that continues a nonsensical, murderous war against the council of leading military and the will of the population.

This war cannot be ended with words, not even alleviates. Now deeds have to follow. Especially from the last friends of the state of Israel.