All parties in Germany’s grand coalition government have agreed to ban the flag of Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas as a mark of respect for Jewish citizens after several antisemitic incidents were reported in the country during anti-Israel rallies last month, the Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday.
The initiative to ban the Hamas flag was initially proposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). “We do not want the flags of terrorist organisations to be waved on German soil,” Thorsten Frei, the deputy parliamentary spokesperson for the CDU and its sister party, the Christian Social Union, said. He added that the ban was a “clear signal to our Jewish citizens.” After initially raising constitutional concerns about the proposal, the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the CDU’s coalition partner, also backed the initiative. “I’m very pleased that the SPD has joined our initiative. In doing so, we can send a clear signal to our Jewish citizens,” Frei said.
The move comes after demonstrations in Germany against Israel’s 11-day war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In May, the Guardian reported that “most violent [antisemitic] incidents were in the southern Berlin district of Neukölln, where demonstrators who gathered in solidarity with Palestinians burned Israeli flags, chanted anti-Israel slogans and waved Hamas banners.” The cities of Mannheim, Hamburg, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Hanover also reported acts of “despicable hatred towards Jews” and calls for the dissolution of Israel. In another incident, the entry to a synagogue was also stoned.
Following the rise in antisemitic incidents, The Israel Times reported that Germany’s Central Council of Jews, which represents approximately 200,000 Jews living in the country, called for an increase in protection for Jewish institutions. Last month’s data also showed that antisemitic crimes in Germany rose by more than 15% in 2020.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised the antisemitic slogan-shouting as “unacceptable,” and continued demonstrations prompted her to issue a call for calm in May. The Guardian also quoted the president of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble, saying last month that “Muslim refugees and migrants in Germany had to be made aware that they have immigrated to a country in which the particular responsibility for Israel is part of our identity.”
Amid the raging conflict between Israel and Palestine last month, Germany voiced its support for Israel. The AA reported German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert as saying that “This violence cannot be justified by anything. Israel has the right to defend itself against these attacks within the framework of self-defence.” Although Berlin “condemned the continued rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza,” Seibert did not hint at any criticism of Israel’s provocations against Palestine during Ramadan; nor did it highlight its disproportionate use of force and violent airstrikes on Gaza, which resulted in the death of at least 200 Palestinians, including 59 children.
Germany’s support for Israel is not unprecedented. In April 2020, the German Interior Ministry announced it would ban Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and designate it as a terrorist organisation. The move prohibited the show of public support for Hezbollah, including waving the group’s flag. The Hamodia reported that using Hezbollah symbols in a public assembly or print, audio and visual material is prohibited in Germany.
The European Union (EU), of which Germany is a member, has included Hamas in its list of terrorist organisations. The latest measure falls in line with Germany’s history of defending Israeli actions in Palestine.
Germany Bans Hamas Flag Over Anti-Semitic Attacks During Gaza Conflict
Following a surge in anti-Semitic incidents, including attacks on synagogues, over the course of the 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict last month, Germany has banned the Hamas flag.
June 21, 2021
SOURCE: BRUNEI DARUSSALAM NEWS