Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Information Minister in Pakistani-administered Kashmir: Five civilians killed and at least 29 others injured in shelling across the border with India
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: So he [Trump] decided to cut off contact. That might still change, but that’s the situation right now
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: Trump’s circle told him [Dermer] that Netanyahu was manipulating him, and there’s nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as someone being played
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: Meetings between the Israelis, Egyptians, and Qataris are all centered around the Israeli proposal, which does not guarantee an end to the war [on Gaza]
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: “Israel” is threatening to expand the ground offensive if Hamas rejects the proposal
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: Hamas rejects the Israeli proposal, viewing it as failing to guarantee an end to the war
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: “Israel” is sticking to its proposal, and insists there is no alternative offer on the table for negotiation
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: The meetings between the Israelis and the Egyptians and Qataris all revolve around the Israeli proposal
The administration was clearly looking for an off-ramp for this campaign against Ansar Allah, NBC News reports, citing US official
Trump's operation against Ansar Allah cost more than $1 billion, NBC News reports, citing US official

Berlin’s Genocide Denial Runs Deep and Beyond Nicaragua’s ICJ Case

  • Hamzah Rifaat Hamzah Rifaat
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 13 Mar 2024 00:21
  • 2 Shares
5 Min Read

Berlin being taken to the ICJ by Nicaragua for abetting Israeli war machinery is not surprising at all.

  • x
  • Berlin’s Genocide Denial Runs Deep and Beyond Nicaragua’s ICJ Case
    Berlin’s Genocide Denial Runs Deep and Beyond Nicaragua’s ICJ Case (Illustrated by Hadi Dbouk to Al Mayadeen English)

At the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Nicaragua filed a case against Germany for abetting, facilitating, and enabling Israeli genocide in Gaza. The case also points at Berlin’s unabashed blocking of funds to the UNRWA and brazen provision of weapons to the Netanyahu regime despite over 30,000 Palestinians losing their lives amid widespread famine, displacement, and destitution. Expectedly, Nicaragua’s case resulted in a sharp rebuke from Germany, yet few can deny that Berlin’s contemporary and historical denial of the Palestinian genocide is a product of its governmental and societal fabric and engineering. Such denial enables Germany to conveniently label anti-war activism, peaceniks, and critics of its foreign policy in the Middle East as ‘anti-Semitic.’ It runs deep.  

It also comes in many forms. Take the Anti-Afd (Alternative for Germany) protests calling out right-wing, far-right segments of German society who are also sympathetic to the Zionism cause. They were completely muzzled out harassed and attacked. The anti-Afd protests which took place in February 2024, were aimed at ensuring that Germany does not descend into crass populism and fascism which has otherwise haunted Europe in the form of Viktor Orban’s authoritarianism in Hungary or Giorgia Meloni’s fascism in Italy. Both leaders in Budapest and in Rome are unequivocally pro-Israeli and ironically, have been called out repeatedly by German leaders for their fascism. Since October 7th, 2023, however Germany finds itself in similar terrain on Palestine with historical guilt washing taking place under the garb of democracy. 

No more is this evident than in academia. German universities such as the University of Heidelberg are highly ranked and supposed to be bastions for freedom of thought, assembly and expression. They are being subjected to blatant racism. Take what happened at the Freie University in Berlin as an example. In December 2023, a group of students assembled in a lecture hall on campus to express solidarity with Palestine and were accompanied by counter protestors who had opposing views.  Instead of the university administration encouraging students and counter protestors to debate, discuss and refrain from violence, they called the police over the premise that any act of ‘anti-Semitism’ on campus will not be tolerated. A criminal charge of trespassing was also imposed while Federal Minister for Education, Bettina Stark-Watzinger called for the public expulsion of severe cases of ‘anti-Semitism.’ The protestors subsequently encountered media harassment, demonization and silencing campaigns under the very watch of the Olaf Scholz government. 

Related News

'Gleichschaltung' in Trump’s America

Inspired by Trump’s America, anti-Palestinian authoritarianism in Germany is escalating

What took place at the Freie University in Berlin is not an anomaly. It is part of a systematic anti-Palestine campaign stemming from the very top echelons of power in Germany. Just under a week after October 7th, 2023, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said ‘there is only one place for Germany’ which is to remain ‘side by side with Israel.’ Scholz’s comments were followed by wide-ranging diplomatic, political and military support extended to Israelis to slaughter the already besieged, battered and occupied Palestinian population with impunity. As of November 2023, German military exports to "Israel" were up nearly tenfold with Berlin approving close to $323 million worth of defence equipment to the Netanyahu government. Germany’s penchant for supporting Zionist terrorism also comes with apathy from its political elite. The German government has consistently opposed any calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and ensured that apartheid continues under the garb of the Israeli so-called ‘right to defend itself.’ This can be contrasted with one of Israeli staunchest allies, the United States, where the Biden administration is seen working towards a fleeting ceasefire to save his own domestic credibility. 

Berlin is obsessed with ‘atoning’ for its crimes which translates into tactics supporting the crimes of an apartheid state. According to the June, 2023 European Legal Support Center report, Germany was one of the countries found to dismiss employees falsely accused of being ‘anti-Israel’ and also denied public places for Palestinian protests, events, and fundraisers. One such example is German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle which fired seven Arab and Palestinian journalists for allegedly making anti-Semitic comments, which was ultimately dismissed in court the moment two of the fired journalists, Maram Salem and Farah Maraqa, challenged the defamation. 

Also, important to note is that in order to guilt wash, Germany equates Zionism with Judaism or the defense of "Jewish civilization" which is a myopic way of viewing the crisis in Gaza and those perpetrating it. Many leading Jewish voices such as Deborah Feldman called out Germany’s unconditional support for the Israelis and the manner in which Berlin is silencing Jewish progressive voices which are anti-war, pro-peace and pro-Palestine in orientation. Feldman’s case negates the dominant narrative in Germany that pro-Palestinian voices are anti-Judaism or anti-Jewish, where the actual battle is between an occupied population and its tormentors. Failure to acknowledge these nuances is where the tragedy lies for Palestinian voices in Germany. 

Hence, Berlin being taken to the ICJ by Nicaragua for abetting Israeli war machinery is not surprising at all.  Instead of castigating Nicaragua, Germany should introspect and look within.  

The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.
  • Germany
  • Israeli occupation
  • Nicaragua
  • Gaza
Hamzah Rifaat

Hamzah Rifaat

A host/anchor, analyst, and visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington D.C.,2016.

Most Read

All
Throughout Operation Prosperity Guardian, current and former US military and intelligence officials expressed disquiet at the enormous “cost offset” involved in battling Ansar Allah. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

Ansar Allah triumphant: US facing Red Sea defeat again

  • Opinion
  • 3 May 2025
While Salams is intended to be for Muslims seeking marriage, the other companies owned by Match Group are seen as encouraging casual relationships like OK Cupid and Tinder. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Selling Muslim marriage app Salams to the Zionist pornography complex

  • Opinion
  • 27 Apr 2025
"Israel" appears to be the only place in the world where there are actual demonstrations defending rapists as national heroes precisely because of their crimes. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

'Israeli pride' - Celebrating rape in the Zionist entity

  • Opinion
  • 4 May 2025
Why the Israelis cannot win in Gaza or Yemen

Why the Israelis cannot win in Gaza or Yemen

  • Opinion
  • 7 May 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

More from this writer

All
Muzzling out Palestinian intellectuals, photojournalists and thinkers is part of 'Israel’s' ethnic cleansing

Muzzling out Palestinian intellectuals, photojournalists and thinkers is part of 'Israel’s' ethnic cleansing

Facebook Profits from Israeli Settlements and Genocide

Facebook Profits from Israeli Settlements and Genocide

Columbia University Assumes a Hypocritical, Anti- Freedom Orientation by Nabbing Pro-Palestinian Voices

Columbia University Assumes a Hypocritical, Anti- Freedom Orientation by Nabbing Pro-Palestinian Voices

Ramadan 2025 in Gaza; resilience, fortitude and determination

Ramadan 2025 in Gaza; resilience, fortitude and determination

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS