For the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, 94 years old, one of the main representatives of the Frankfurt School, Israel’s reaction to the Hamas massacre is “fundamentally justified.”
Together with three other intellectuals (the political scientist Rainer Forst, the lawyer Klaus Günter and the historian of international relations Nicole Deitelhoff), the great thinker published an open letter on the Middle East conflict on the website of the Goethe University Frankfurt. The four signatories declare their solidarity with Israel and the Jews in Germany. According to the signatories, there are many “conflicting views” on the current situation, which is why it is necessary to respect certain principles.
Israel’s counterattack “is justified”, but its implementation is controversial, which is why the authors of the text recommend “the principles of proportionality”, avoiding civilian casualties and waging a war with the prospect of future peace. However, it does not help in assessing whether “genocidal intent is attributed to Israeli actions.”
The signatories are particularly concerned about anti-Semitic reactions in Germany. “It is unbearable that Jews in Germany are once again exposed to threats to life and limb and have to fear physical violence on the streets.” Israel’s right to exist and Jewish life are particularly worthy of protection in Germany and a commitment to this is of fundamental importance for political coexistence . The right to freedom and protection from racism applies to everyone. Those who have cultivated anti-Semitic feelings and beliefs in our country under all sorts of pretexts must also adhere to this.”