As Israel continues its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the international pressure for a ceasefire or humanitarian pause has been unrelenting. As in past wars between the two sides, everyone from the United Nations to us has called for a cessation of hostilities. This time is different due to the gravity and the unbridled barbarism over Hamas’ October 7 attack. Israel is in it for the long haul, and they’re not leaving the Gaza Strip until Hamas is no longer a threatening entity. To boot, Israeli forces will remain in the strip for the foreseeable future, a move that’s put them on a collision course with Washington.
They tried a hostage-based cessation in the fighting. It didn’t last long, barely two weeks, because Hamas, a terrorist organization, kept violating the agreement. Even when Israel agreed to pause their military operations, Hamas continued to fire rockets. Any pause helps Hamas, and Hamas will steal any aid sent into the strip for the civilians. The ones pushing hardest for a ceasefire are some of the most progressive, antisemitic, and pro-terrorist voices in politics, especially on Capitol Hill. So, amid the chaos and the baseless accusations that Israel is committing genocide from the international community, one European nation has stood out from all the rest regarding standing with Israel in their struggle against the terrorists: the Federal Republic of Germany. Here’s what Chaskel Bennett, a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, had to say back in November. He was commenting on this clip from German Vice Chancellor Robert Habek:
It's almost four weeks since the horrific terrorist attack on #Israel. A lot has happened, the public debate has become heated and confused. Find thoughts from Vice-Chancellor Robert #Habeck in the video, putting the events in context. 📣With English, Hebrew and Arabic subtitles. pic.twitter.com/5jdXAZr7ey
— Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (@BMWK) November 2, 2023
I am stunned and shaking. After 25 days of watching international support for Israel collapse and the condemnations against her coming fast and furious, seeing Germany standing up and loudly declaring its "historical responsibility to Israel" is not something I was prepared to… https://t.co/RuvIeaq68h
— Chaskel Bennett (@ChaskelBennett) November 2, 2023
I am stunned and shaking. After 25 days of watching international support for Israel collapse and the condemnations against her coming fast and furious, seeing Germany standing up and loudly declaring its "historical responsibility to Israel" is not something I was prepared to view. The world has basically left the Jews to fend for ourselves, yet again. After the heinous atrocities of Hamas, the feckless
UN has failed in its very basic duty to condemn Hamas and their savage crimes against humanity. As a grandchild of German born grandparents, I am not sure how to process the fact that Germany is getting this moment right while so many others, including UN Secretary General António Guterres, are failing so abysmally to defend civilization itself and reaffirm Israel's duty and right to protect and defend itself. Absorb the sobering fact that it is the Germans that are lecturing the October 7th holocaust deniers and the world of the facts here. The Germans! It is hard to process this surreal moment in history especially for me a grandchild of Holocaust survivors.
I'm writing the following words I never dreamed I would in this lifetime. Thank You Germany.
Something that I didn't really understand until I became a diplomatic reporter and was constantly reading their statements, is that the entire German political mainstream is serious about this. It isn't new. I was glad to see this video - but not surprised.
— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) November 3, 2023
Germany also rebuffed efforts for a ceasefire last month, though, like the Biden administration, it supports these so-called “humanitarian pauses.” We all saw how that turned out (via Times of Israel):
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday he opposed an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as calls multiply globally to halt the conflict triggered by Hamas’s devastating onslaught on Israel.
[…]
“I don’t think the calls for an immediate ceasefire or long pause — which would amount to the same thing — are right,” Scholz said in a debate organized by the German regional daily Heilbronner Stimme.
Chancellor Scholz was also not having any of the faux genocide allegations that have been hurled at the IDF:
German 🇩🇪 Chancellor Olaf Scholz @Bundeskanzler
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) November 17, 2023
“Israel 🇮🇱 is a democracy. This has to be said very clearly. The accusations being made against Israel are absurd. Israel is acting in accordance with international law in defending itself against Hamas.” pic.twitter.com/GFt5mafm4M
Maybe not as surprising, but given the history, it has undoubtedly shocked some.
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