What a bitter irony: as the Arab world turns away from Hamas, the West is moving closer to them. But recognizing Palestine as a state would mean rewarding Hamas's terror. For Chancellor Merz, it is a test of character.
A six-year-old and an eight-year-old boy are sitting at the kitchen table. "Dad is dead, dad is dead," the older one cries to his brother, and asks, "Why am I still alive?" The younger one is leaning over the table and says he can't see with one eye. It was stabbed by a Hamas terrorist who had just shot their father. The terrorist opens his refrigerator, takes out a bottle that looks like a cola, and drinks it with relish.
These images from October 7, captured by a security camera in Kibbutz Be'eri in southern Israel, come to mind again and again when there is talk these days of recognizing Palestine as a state. Hamas still holds over 50 hostages, the terrorists still haven't given up their weapons, they still dream of destroying Israel. Why now, precisely, should the terrorist organization that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 be rewarded with a state for its atrocities, kidnappings, and rapes?
This question is getting different answers in European capitals. In Paris, President Macron declared that he would recognize Palestine in September. France acted “in accordance with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” Really? Given that Hamas does not want peace, but the eradication of Israel, Macron’s pro-Palestinian stance is hypocritical. He is clearly concerned with appealing to the powerful Muslim constituency, which now makes up 8 to 10 percent of France’s population. Macron is once again pandering to the many Hamas sympathizers in his country. The “submission” that Michel Houellebecq describes in his dystopia is beginning to come true.
In Britain, it is not much different. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is threatening to recognize Palestine as a state unless the Israeli government takes substantial steps by the fall to end the conflict in Gaza and commit to a lasting, sustainable peace. In Starmer’s Labour Party, the “hugging” with terrorists is a tradition. Former party leader Jeremy Corbyn once literally invited - quote - "our friends in Hamas" to a discussion. In reality, Labour is driven not only by interests in the Middle East, but also by domestic political considerations. In many areas with a dense Muslim population, the party feels threatened by independent candidates.
In Berlin, too, there is already loud talk about recognizing Palestine. "The process of recognizing Palestine must begin now," reads a headline in the Jerusalem Post, which caused consternation among many Israelis. In fact, Foreign Minister Wadeful expressed himself somewhat differently, saying that Germany continues to rely on a "negotiated two-state solution." Recognizing a Palestinian state should be "rather the end of the process." But he also said that this process must “start now”.
However, the moment could not be more inappropriate to talk even about recognizing a Palestinian state. Because Hamas is still de facto Palestine and any form of recognition would make it difficult to negotiate a ceasefire and release the hostages, including seven German citizens. A detail that the Chancellor rarely mentions and most of the media ignores.
Instead, a photo of a severely emaciated child in Gaza is being circulated around the world.
Alleged evidence of starvation in Gaza. In reality, however, the child suffers from a hereditary disease that damages the brain and muscles. This is just one of many examples of how the Western media is becoming a tool of Hamas's war propaganda.
The Washington Post has published a list of the names of 18,500 children who were allegedly killed in Gaza. The list comes from a Hamas-run institution; the names and circumstances of the deaths cannot be verified. But the fact is: Hamas uses its own children as human shields to produce images for its propaganda.
Many media outlets are being misled and turning against Israel. This is leaving its mark on the population. According to a survey, three-quarters of Germans are now in favor of putting more pressure on Israel. Chancellor Merz has picked up on this sentiment and is tightening his tone towards Israel. His criticism of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Netanyahu government is legitimate. But it should not lead to a reversal of the roles of victim and perpetrator and a cheap, populist, opportunistic turn in politics. Recognizing Palestine at this time would be a betrayal of our ally Israel and an unforgivable break with German state doctrine. It would also be a betrayal of the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas rule.
Furthermore, this step would be counterproductive. Recognizing Palestine would undermine the peace process because it would remove the incentive for direct negotiations with Israel. Instead of putting pressure on Israel, the German government should be lobbying Hamas through intermediaries in Qatar to get the hostages released. This week, several Arab countries even condemned Hamas' terror for the first time together and called for its disempowerment. The German public barely noticed this. What a bitter irony: While the Arab world is moving away from Hamas, the West is moving closer to them.
For Friedrich Merz, recognizing Palestine is becoming not just a political issue, but a question of character. Will he give in to pressure from his coalition partner and the media, or will he remain true to his principles? "Israel is strong. Now it is our turn to be a strong ally of Israel," Merz said shortly after October 7. A strong ally must also be able to withstand resistance. If we betray Israel, we are betraying not only our values, but also our own interests. And a strong Israel is also in Germany's interests. Because Israel is not only doing the "dirty work" of stopping the Iranian nuclear program. Israel is also stopping the spread of Islamist terror in Germany.
The editorial of Welt am Sonntag. Author - editor-in-chief Jan Philipp Burghardt.
translation: Kapka Todorova