Five days after the terrorist and murder attacks by Hamas in Israel, the Bundestag is discussing the events. Across the board, the speakers assure Israel of German support. Here and there there are carefully hidden calls for moderation.
This morning in the Bundestag, it was not only Chancellor Olaf Scholz and CDU leader Friedrich Merz who commented on how much they were affected by the cruel and murderous attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists. Be it faction leaders like Rolf Mützenich (SPD), Christian Dürr (FDP) or Katharina Dröge (Greens) – all of them were deeply shocked and assured Israel, represented by Ambassador Ron Prosor in the visitors’ gallery, of unrestricted solidarity and support from Germany.
“Dear friends in Israel, we mourn and fear with you!” said Scholz in his government statement. “At this moment there is only one place for Germany: the place firmly on Israel’s side. That’s what we mean when we say: Israel’s security is German reasons of state.” Chancellor Angela Merkel once coined the word “reason of state” during a speech in the Knesset – Scholz has repeated it several times since the attacks. Most of the other speakers that morning also agreed. The word was not questioned.
That’s not the only reason why it was a meeting of rare bipartisanship and unanimity: together, the parliamentary groups passed a motion for a resolution in which they condemned the violence of Hamas and promised support to Israel – the AfD and the Left also voted.
Samidoun club is banned
Scholz recalled the cruel acts in the plenary session and made clear announcements: the anti-Semitic association Samidoun would be banned. Hamas is banned from operating in Germany. There will be no new development aid for the Palestinian areas for the time being. In the morning it became known that Israel had asked for ammunition for warships and would receive it. Germany will also return two drones leased from Israel.
It was also clear that it was a special debate when CDU leader Merz took the lectern. Instead of giving the usual lecture to the government bench, the opposition leader thanked the Chancellor for his government declaration – and then also Green Party leader Omid Nouripour for organizing a joint declaration by the traffic light and Union parties at the weekend. “We also include this day in our history books,” said Merz, addressing Israel. “You are not alone in your grief.” There is “no justification whatsoever” for this “cowardly and despicable excess of violence.”
He called for more decisive action against anti-Semitism, be it at the Documenta art exhibition in Kassel or on the streets of German cities. “Images like those on Sunday” – he meant celebrating Hamas sympathizers in Berlin-Neukölln – are unbearable and must be stopped. Most of the other speakers were also repelled by this, for example Green Party leader Nouripour: “I have to admit that as a German of Islamic faith, I feel sick when I see people celebrating when civilians are slaughtered at music festivals,” he said.
Close the Islam Center in Hamburg
Merz shouted to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser: “Finally close the Islam Center in Hamburg!” This has been observed by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution for a long time and is considered Islamist with close connections to Iran. Merz wasn’t the only one calling for relations with Iran to be reassessed. Scholz also highlighted Hamas’s connection to Iran. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai, who like Nouripour was born in Tehran, reiterated his call for the mullahs’ regime’s Revolutionary Guards to be placed on the EU’s terror list.
The former CDU candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet called on Scholz to mention at his meeting with the Emir of Qatar that he supports Hamas and that its leadership even resides in his hometown of Doha – although on the other hand there is hope that Qatar will do so precisely because of its proximity can help Hamas free the kidnapped hostages, including some Germans. Laschet demanded that the states in the region need to be viewed in a more differentiated manner. Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan recognized Israel. Saudi Arabia was close to this – Hamas wanted to destroy this hope for peace.
On Israel’s side “without ifs and buts” that was the tenor of the debate, across all parties. Because these “ifs and buts” were also recently heard in Germany – for example, when Israel’s resistance was equated with murder and torture of men, women and children. FDP parliamentary group leader Dürr, for example, spoke passionately against it: He did not accept that the actions of Hamas were being equated with the defense of Israel. The perpetrator and victim would be swapped.
Not a fight for freedom, but barbarism
But there was no sign of this this morning, not even among the usual suspects in the ranks of the AfD or the Left. “This is not a fight for freedom, this is barbarism,” said Dietmar Bartsch, who also spoke of “Islamic fascism.” Former party leader Alexander Gauland spoke for the right-wing populists and said that Hamas’s only goal was to kill Jews. He called for an end to all payments to Palestinian organizations. Ultimately, Hamas always benefits from this. Day-to-day life in the Bundestag temporarily returned when CDU politician Laschet rebuked the AfD for heckling while he was speaking.
As unanimous as the expressions of solidarity were, here and there one could also hear cautious, veiled appeals to Israel to exercise moderation. “Now it is important to clearly combat terror,” said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. “But we must not give up the prospect of sustainable peace in the region even on days like this.”
SPD parliamentary group leader Mützenich said that peace is made by states – should that be a reminder not to lose sight of the two-state solution? Now the fight for survival is on, said the SPD parliamentary group leader, “but at a later date, Israel will deal with its own mistakes and omissions. Israel doesn’t need to catch up, especially not from us, I say to everyone who thinks they can make a subtle contribution can”. Something like this could be seen as a warning to Israel to moderate its retaliatory attacks.
It was a Bundestag debate that will be remembered. The message that the speakers wanted to send was very clear: There is no piece of paper between us and Israel. What that could mean in concrete terms, however, remained largely open. The question must be answered in the coming weeks.