The fact that the atmosphere in Hamburg is particularly peculiar was already evident from the reporting on the Administrative Court’s ruling on pro-Palestinian demonstrations. But now this has been clearly surpassed. The target this time is the Turkish-born politician Nebahat Güçlü and the flood of articles was triggered by a post on Facebook.
Bild writes of a “scandalous article against Israel”, the BZ headlines “SPD politician incites hatred against Israel”, and the Hamburger Morgenpost – an SPD newspaper, by the way – also comments on the former member with “Hamburg SPD politician accuses Israel of ‘war crimes'”.
Güçlü is by no means alone in this. You only have to read what UN Secretary-General Guterres has recently written, or note that when the UN Security Council voted on the next, third resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, only the USA voted against it. What’s more, the UN ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, which introduced the resolution this time, declared that the draft had been supported by 95 states within 24 hours.
But what is the world against Berlin or Hamburg? Güçlü, in any case, gets the full program – she is accused of “questionable statements” and “dubious appearances” and the last Facebook post is “anti-Israel propaganda”. Why? Because this post contains a single sentence: “Israel has killed 8,697 children in Gaza in 60 days.”
Güçlü was a member of the Green Party until 2015. She then resigned from the party when she was accused of making an appearance at a Turkish association associated with the “Grey Wolves”. What is not mentioned in this context: She was chairwoman of the Turkish community from 2012 to 2017. It is part of her job to attend events with which she has nothing to do in terms of content. This whole story is reminiscent of the usual accusations of contact guilt, and within the Greens this kind of thing is part of the basic intrigue toolkit; presumably the long-standing migration advisor was simply standing in someone’s way. Interestingly, one of the points of conflict she may have had with her party at the time is her position on Ukraine.
In 2018, she then joined the SPD, which she left a few weeks ago. She published her reasons for leaving on Facebook. Her stance on both Ukraine and Gaza is cautious: she criticizes the fact that the arms deliveries to Ukraine only create further misery and she would have expected the German government to criticize the Israeli bombings, but she supports both the “Russian war of aggression” and that Israel has “the right” to “defend itself”.
“But the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for more than seven weeks, is disproportionate and a war crime against humanity!”
On a global scale, a thoroughly moderate position. And it is by no means the case that anyone could still credibly deny that Israeli bombings are killing children by the thousands. Even the number of those who can be counted in the many videos circulating is already several hundred. This is how the Hamburger Morgenpost avoids acknowledging reality:
“The population there is being abused by the terrorists as human shields. This also explains why around 15,000 people are said to have died in Israeli counter-attacks against the terrorist organization so far – including innocent civilians.”
“Even innocent civilians” is a serious understatement. There is plenty of footage of Israeli bombs hitting residential buildings, inhabited residential buildings. The week before last there was a video in which a journalist was reporting live when a bomb hit the house behind her where her family lived. This has nothing to do with Hamas using “human shields”, this is plain, direct, inhuman terror against the civilian population. This is precisely why the international mood is turning not only against Israel, but also against the United States. After all, it is largely US bombs that are destroying Palestinian homes and killing children. And they continue to be delivered on a daily basis.
Interestingly, Güçlü only published her statement of resignation when calls appeared in the press for her to be thrown out of the SPD. This means that the former member of parliament was actually attacked solely because of the number of dead Palestinian children. When the first mud flew, this statement was not yet public.
The Bild article shows just how bizarre these attacks are:
“On Facebook, she ranted about the Israeli attacks on Hamas terrorists in Gaza to free hostages: Israel had killed 8697 children in just 60 days. A lie – she is spreading flawless propaganda from the terrorist organization.”
No, it did not. The UN also accepts these figures. No wonder, after all there are enough UN employees in Gaza. In the meantime, over a hundred of them have died in the Israeli attacks, which were also directed against UN facilities. Only Israeli propaganda is trying to play down these figures, which are in all probability too low. For one thing, the administration in Gaza has now been destroyed to such an extent that it is difficult to collect figures, and for another, all the missing persons who are still buried under the rubble of the houses are missing.
Not even in the UK is the US course on Israel followed as fanatically as in Germany (the British abstained in the UN Security Council). Without any awareness of the extent to which the country is following the hegemon into isolation. Without any willingness to even acknowledge reality. None of the articles intended to make Güçlü a non-person claim that no children were killed in these bombings. And even if there were only half as many, would that make it okay? Would it then no longer be a war crime? Wouldn’t it still be necessary to do everything in our power to put an end to this slaughter?
It may give the grandees of the Hamburg SPD (which still includes Chancellor Olaf Scholz) and the party secret service of the Greens a momentary high to lash out at a politician like Güçlü. But one day, in the not too distant future, they will all have to realize that they have completely maneuvered themselves to the brink and ensured that this Germany has only one friend left on this planet – the United States, around which it is getting lonelier every day (if you can call a country that bombs away vital infrastructure a friend). And perhaps Israel, if it even knows anything like friends under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Well, then at least we can close the Foreign Office and spare the world visits from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
on Dagmar Henn
