Israel-Hamas war opens up German debate over meaning of ‘Never again’ | Germany | The Guardian
▻https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/22/israel-hamas-war-opens-up-german-debate-over-meaning-of-never-again
A letter published in the Guardian pits several prominent German and international figures influenced by the Frankfurt School of neo-Marxist “critical theory” against its most prominent living member, Jürgen Habermas. They argue that “Never again” must also mean staying alert to the possibility that what is unfolding in Gaza could amount to genocide.
In a statement published on 13 November, Habermas made the case that the “Never again” principle must above all lead to a German commitment to protecting Jewish life and Israel’s right to exist.
Habermas, 94, sometimes described as a contemporary successor to the Enlightenment philosophers for his writing on themes of power and justice, argued that Israel’s military retaliation following the 7 October Hamas attacks was “justified in principle”. Likening the resulting bloodshed in Gaza to a genocide was beyond the boundaries of acceptable debate, he said.
“Despite all the concern for the fate of the Palestinian population […], the standards of judgment slip completely when genocidal intentions are attributed to Israel’s actions,” said the statement, which was also signed by the political scientist Rainer Forst, the lawyer Klaus Günther and the peace researcher Nicole Deitelhoff.
In response, the letter published on Wednesday echoes Habermas’s condemnation of the Hamas attack and hostage-taking, but expresses concern over the “apparent limits of the solidarity expressed” by the philosopher and his co-authors.
“The statement’s concern for human dignity is not adequately extended to Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are facing death and destruction,” it adds. “Nor is it applied or extended to Muslims in Germany experiencing rising Islamophobia. Solidarity means that the principle of human dignity must apply to all people. This requires us to recognise and address the suffering of all those affected by an armed conflict.”
The letter continues: “We are concerned that there is no mention of upholding international law, which also prohibits war crimes and crimes against humanity such as collective punishment, persecution, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure including schools, hospitals and places of worship.”
While “not all signatories believe that the legal standards for genocide have been met” by the situation in Gaza, the letter says, all of them “agree this is a matter of legitimate debate”.
On Sunday, a group of UN experts said there was “evidence of increasing genocidal incitement” against the Palestinian people. Israeli officials reject this.
