On March 24, 2024, the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, traveled for talks to Egypt, Israel, and the “Palestinian Territories” (AA). On the Foreign Ministry website, she is quoted as follows: “We stand by our responsibility for Israel’s security: Hamas must lay down its weapons and must never bring back the terror of October 7 upon the people of Israel. However, this goal cannot be achieved purely militarily. Military action has its limits in international humanitarian law. Only an immediate humanitarian ceasefire leading to a lasting ceasefire keeps the hope for peace alive.”
On the day of Ms. Baerbock’s departure, the Israeli army continued its aerial attacks unabated from the ground and water and also targeted the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where the majority of the population has sought refuge. The declarations of the German Foreign Minister echo as do those of her US counterpart Blinken. This is not surprising, as anyone who only demands that Hamas lay down its arms and does not do the same to Israel makes themselves not credible. This is especially true since both Germany and the USA have supplied and continue to supply many of these weapons themselves. Ms. Baerbock, like her US counterpart Blinken, acts unilaterally as a party and thereby forfeits their potential roles as mediators. Therefore, Germany and the USA’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire are not taken seriously, neither by Israel nor the Arab world.
Ms. Baerbock says, “The people need everything: Every box of food, medicines, water purification tablets, or medical equipment counts. Every box blocked on trucks in front of Gaza’s fences is one too many. With our international partners, we leave nothing untried.” The dropping of relief supplies over the Gaza Strip is actually a drop in the bucket, a grand spectacle that distracts from Germany and the USA’s co-responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe. The famine in the Gaza Strip cannot even be alleviated by dropping a few boxes of relief supplies.
Germany, the USA, and the other NATO countries are not only actively involved in Gaza but in all conflicts and wars that geopolitically shake the world. This is especially true for Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. At many Easter marches in 2024, a cessation of hostilities and the beginning of peace negotiations will be demanded, including in Munich. Peace or at least a ceasefire can only be achieved if all parties involved in the conflict come together at the negotiating table.
The world is closer to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe than even during the Cold War. The reason is that all mechanisms established and international treaties signed back then have been eliminated or terminated in the last 10 years. Today, there are not even confidence-building measures that would allow de-escalatory steps. The states are geared towards confrontation!
Against this backdrop, the traditional demands of the peace movement for negotiations, disarmament agreements, and the abolition of nuclear weapons will once again be relevant—a support as never before!
Humanity feels the consequences of militarization and armament every day. The labor unions point out in their Easter march call that the welfare state is losing out to the militarized state. The recent statements by the Pope on the Ukraine war give hope that more and more churches and civil society forces recognize that the militaristic narrowing of societal discourse must be stopped. The press and all other media bear a special responsibility here, dear colleagues!
According to the latest findings of the World Meteorological Organization, it is clear that the goals set in Paris to limit global warming are already being missed. This dramatic development affects us all. Despite this, by joining forces, humanity must prevent the worst and somehow get the impending climate catastrophe under control. Instead of wasting billions on armament and war, states must finally collaborate, and humanity must pool all available resources.
All means must be used for socio-ecological transformation, education and healthcare, humanitarian aid, and securing the foundations of humanity.
Easter March Munich on Easter Saturday, March 30, 2024
11:15 Opening rally Marienplatz
City Greeting: Brigitte Wolf, The Left
Maria Feckl, DFG/VK
12:00 Demonstration – City Center
1:30 p.m. Closing rally Marienplatz
Speech: Linda Schneider, ver.di labor union, regional director of Bavaria
Martin Pilgram, Pax Christi
Jürgen Rose, Darmstädter Signal, Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) of the Bundeswehr
Philipp from SDAJ
Music: StreetOps Music
