Ramadan: On high alert

Good morning dear reader,

The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins. In Germany this is linked to the always the same discussion, which essentially revolves around the question: Does Islam belong to Germany? Holiday greetings from politicians or fairy lights that cities like Frankfurt and Cologne are hanging up this year are already making some people very angry in this country.

Elsewhere, the risks that Ramadan poses this year are much greater. There has been war since the massacre by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7th, in which around 1,200 Jews were killed and more than 200 kidnapped. And experts fear that Ramadan could escalate the fighting in Gaza into a conflagration.

On the one hand, there are terrorist organizations that specifically exploit the month of fasting for their own purposes: Islamic Jihad called on the Palestinians to observe a “month of terror” this week. Hamas leaders called for a march to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and a “maximum tidal wave on the streets and fronts inside and outside Palestine.” Now the “Month of Victory, the Month of Jihad” begins.

The terrorists’ martial signal: Our goal is far from being reached. And our time is now.

And on the other hand, there is the right-wing religious government in Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu, which has hit back with full force since the massacre. Their understandable goal: to finally eliminate the terrorist organization and rescue the Israeli hostages who are still in the hands of Hamas.

However, victims of the Israeli offensive are often Palestinian civilians. The images of bombed-out cities, bleeding children and displaced families have been going around the world for weeks. More than a million Palestinians are on the run. Aid organizations have been warning urgently for months about the lack of aid deliveries to Gaza and the resulting shortage of pretty much everything – first and foremost: water and food. The conditions are already “inhumane” and there is now a threat of famine.

Nevertheless, Israel’s government is preparing a strike against the city of Rafah. It wants to free Israeli hostages there and destroy Hamas terrorist bases, which all too often use Palestinian civilians as human shields. Hundreds of thousands have sought refuge in Rafah, many living in tents. Even Israel’s loyal international partners are warning Netanyahu of an attack on the city and the catastrophic humanitarian consequences. US President Joe Biden has just described such an attack as a “red line” and criticized Netanyahu’s actions so far in an unusually harsh manner.

But so far such words have had no effect. The destruction of the terrorist organization Hamas – for Netanyahu it is an absolute priority. Netanyahu said in an interview on Sunday that he had a red line: “That October 7th doesn’t happen again. Never again.”

Until the very end, the negotiating table was about one Ceasefire for Ramadan wrestled. At first it was supposed to last six weeks, then it was only two days. But no agreement was reached. Jerusalem, Israel, Gaza and the entire region are now facing turbulent, probably bloody days and weeks. Security forces in the holy city are on high alert.

And the conflict has the potential to shake Europe once again. Because pro-Palestinian protests could also flare up with new intensity here. During the Muslim month of renunciation and contemplation, the fate of the Palestinians will be even more in focus in many Muslim families than already.

In Amsterdam on Sunday, hundreds protested with Palestinian flags and chanted at the opening of a new Holocaust museum – for a ceasefire in Gaza and against the presence of Israeli President Izchak Herzog. It’s probably just the start.

Even Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who otherwise doesn’t think much of being close to the people and doing extensive public relations work, In a video message for Ramadan on Sunday, he called for a ceasefire in Gaza and for composure, understanding and tolerance in this country: “I want you to know: you are not alone in your compassion,” he said. Many people in Germany share a great deal of interest – “in the suffering of the murdered and abducted Israelis and in the fate of the innocently killed, the wounded and those suffering in Gaza.”

Scholz’s words get to the heart of the problem: Civilians on both sides are suffering and equally fearful for their loved ones. But his efforts must go beyond a video message.

It is right and important that the German reason of state applies and that the federal government stands closely with Israel in the fight against the Hamas terrorists. However, the Chancellor must also dare to criticize Netanyahu’s government more if it resorts to more and more blows and if the majority of them hit civilians.

The federal government has just taken an important step: Together with other governments, it wants to support aid deliveries to Gaza via a sea corridor.

And the Oscar goes to…

It was an evening of superlatives: The Oscars were awarded in Los Angeles on the night of Sunday to Monday. Stars such as Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jamie Lee Curtis presented the “Golden Boy”, the highest honor in the Western film world, in 23 categories. Read who won the trophy here.

And three Germans were nominated: Sandra Hülser in the important category “Best Actress” for her role in the drama “Anatomy of a Case”, director İlker Çatak with “The Teacher’s Room” for the “best international film” and Wim Wenders in the same category for “Perfect Days” – but went Wenders enters the race for Japan.

In the end, none of the three Germans won. But Sandra Hülser in particular remains on the road to success: She has already won the most important film awards in Europe; at the Cannes Film Festival there was talk of the “Hüller effect”. And she also left a lasting impression in the USA – the US trade paper “Hollywood Reporter” dedicated a cover story to her. You can find out more about Hülser here.