German President Calls for Roundtable Discussion on Gaza, Yet Palestinians Not Included
Germany’s president organized a roundtable to discuss recent events in the Middle East, specifically Gaza, unfortunately, no Palestinian representatives were included in the discussion.
Germany’s President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will lead an engaging discussion on ‘How do we talk about the war in the Middle East?’ alongside notable figures Meron Mendel, the director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre, journalist and podcaster Tilo Jung, and Melody Sucharewicz, a political advisor and expert on German-Israeli relations.
Many critics have highlighted the lack of Palestinian representation at the event, particularly against the backdrop of Israel’s conflict with Gaza.
Berlin has been widely criticised for the unconditional support it has shown Israel during its assault on Gaza, which has killed around 35,000 people, and banning Palestinian protests and conferences in at home.
“The German president wants to discuss ‘how we talk about the war in the Middle East’ in a round table without any Palestinian voice -> actually a good demonstration of how the German discourse works and who remains at the margins,” one user wrote on X.
Additionally, some also noted that Sucharewicz, a former foreign affairs adviser to Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz, is known for her strong pro-Israel views and was one of the winners of Israel’s popular show, The Ambassador, where hundreds of contestants engage in heated hasbara (Israeli propaganda) before an audience and judges.
The former advisor has also written articles defending Israel’s actions in Gaza, contributing to the blog Politically Incorrect, which the Office of the Protection of the Constitution in Germany has declared “extremist.”
Crackdown on protests
Germany has been taking extreme measures to crack down on pro-Palestinian activism, most notably shutting down the Palestine Congress and barring one of the events speakers, Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, from entering the country.
The country deployed 900 police officers across Berlin to enforce the ban. Officers stormed the building, switched off the electricity, shut down the live stream of speakers, and ordered the 250 attendees to leave.
It has also clamped down on pro-Palestine activism, with the German police hassling protesters and restricting chants and Muslim prayers.
Germany has been one of Israel’s strongest allies even before 7 October, with its staunch support being part of its atonement for the Holocaust.
