Gaza: no international reaction to continuation of war?
The Israeli military has stepped up its attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire ended. According to the Hamas-controlled authorities more than 800 people have been killed there in the last ten days. In Israel, tens of thousands have taken to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies, while in the Gaza Strip several hundred have protested against Hamas. This conflict must not be forgotten, warns Europe's press.
Apathy in the face of mass murder
Europe is standing idly by, political scientist Hendrik Vos rails in his column in De Standaard:
“It has become an apathetic consensus: don't bring up Gaza, the world is complicated enough as it is. When you ask about it as a journalist, you get the whole litany - and then complaints like those of a toothless old pastor: we have to see the bigger picture. There is no consensus in the government. Europe has to do this or that. The United Nations must take action. But take action ourselves? ... Gaza has become a death camp and politicians at all levels are apparently too cowardly, too blind, too deaf or too lame to do anything about it.”
Dehumanised like slaves 200 years ago
Público finds that the spiral of violence in Gaza is receiving too little international attention:
“The 'new Europe' - France, the UK and Germany - has issued a communiqué in which it expresses its 'shock' over the resumption of attacks on Gaza. But it probably won't go any further. The European Council expressed similar sentiments last week. ... Palestine is at the bottom of the food chain for international empathy: we weep for Ukraine, but there's nothing left for Gaza. It's as if there is a dehumanisation of the Palestinians, who in the West are seen in the same way as slaves were viewed two centuries ago.”
Respect for so much courage
taz newspaper commends the bravery of the protests against the Hamas leadership in Gaza:
“It truly takes a lot of courage to stand up to Hamas, especially in these times. Arrest, torture and even death can be the result. The Islamist leadership is acting with murderous brutality against its opponents, including its own compatriots. Even in more peaceful times Hamas had Palestinians shot in the street, on their knees with sacks over their heads, if they suspected them of collaborating with the Israeli enemy; an accusation that was also used as an excuse to execute homosexual men. The courageous demonstrators give the lie to those who say that there are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip.”
Israel no longer satisfied with deterrence
It was the Hamas terror attack that largely prompted Israel to change its strategy, The Economist reiterates:
“This new, hegemonic Israel is the product in part of the lingering trauma of October 7th. Before the massacre Israel sought to avoid all-out conflict, contenting itself with periodic strikes against its foes, to assassinate threatening leaders or destroy sophisticated weapons. When it went to war, as it did several times against Hamas, it kept the wars short. The goal was to deter and degrade its adversaries, not to obliterate them. In hindsight, many Israeli generals and spies see that policy as naive. They are no longer willing to tolerate threats on their borders - even hypothetical ones.”
Policy guided by one-sided empathy?
The Süddeutsche Zeitung questions whether Israel's security should really be part of Germany's raison d'état:
“In the present case, raison d'état means nothing more than continued arms deliveries. These were initially justified in order to defend Israel against Hamas. They are now no longer justified because a largely far-right Israeli government is obliterating the Gaza Strip with bombs – and because this endless war is the only way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of corruption, can cling to power. ... Invoking raison d'état is a convenient tactic. It avoids uncomfortable questions and ultimately puts all the empathy on one side. ... Why is it not part of Germany's raison d'état to find a peaceful solution?”