German Vice Chancellor says country's Muslims must condemn Resistance

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Nov 2023 10:45
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Germany's Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck pressures his country's Muslims to adopt the government's stance, equating anti-Zionism with anti-semitism.

A protester displays a placard calling for the end of Zionism during a pro-Palestinian rally in Frankfurt, Germany on October 14, 2023, amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza. (AFP)

Germany's Vice Chancellor, Robert Habeck, said in a video address published on Wednesday, that there have been criticisms that Germany's Muslim community hasn't sufficiently condemned Hamas for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.

"The scale of the Islamist demonstrations in Berlin and other cities in Germany is unacceptable and needs a tough political response," Habeck stated.

Habeck, going from Germany's policy of equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and cracking down on instances of support for Palestine, further said, "This is also needed from the Muslim associations. Some have clearly distanced themselves from the actions of Hamas and from anti-Semitism, and have sought dialogue. But not all of them – some have been too hesitant to do so, and it’s been too few overall."

The Vice Chancellor went a step further, and equated German Muslims' stance on Zionism with their own right to tolerance, saying that "They must clearly distance themselves from anti-Semitism so as not to undermine their own right to tolerance."

Cracking down on pro-Palestine demonstrations

In recent days, Germany's unwavering support for "Israel" has manifested through aggressive police action against pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Berlin, the banning of solidarity events and rallies across the country, anti-Palestinian smear campaigns in the media, and steadfast endorsements of "Israel's right to defend itself."

Germany has also given the green light to "Israel's" request to utilize two of five Heron TP combat drones against Palestine leased by Germany, turning a blind eye to a real-time genocide in Gaza and the killing of more than 9,061 Palestinians, with 32,000 wounded, as per the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

#Gaza's Health Ministry Spokesperson announced that the number of martyrs from the Israeli aggression on Gaza has risen to 9,061, with 32,000 wounded.

The ministry added that it has received 2,060 missing persons notices, including 1,150 for children as 16 hospitals are out of… pic.twitter.com/fSDKMTm2au
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 2, 2023

In a similar context, the German Minister of Interior decided, on Thursday, to increase restrictions on pro-Palestinian organizations including the banning of Samidoun, a network aimed at raising awareness of the plight of Palestinian prisoners.

This is not the first time that individuals or organizations have been accused of antisemitism by the German government or corporations. Earlier last year, German state media Deutsche Welle (DW) went on an Israeli-sponsored media purge, dismissing several employees for expressing pro-Palestinian opinions.