“Given the religious and cross-cultural celebrations surrounding the winter solstice, I am in favor of renaming the Christmas season Peace.” (Sigrun Hopfensperger, German aphorist). We live in uncertain times; Current wars, latent conflicts and climate change are also a threat to us. But Christmas can be celebrated in peace in Austria, without terror and fear. It should stay like this for a long time. Austria, as a neutral state, does not participate in any war, but perpetual neutrality is no guarantee of peace. Switzerland is an example of how to stay out of armed conflicts. In contrast, the neutral states of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were the first targets of the German Wehrmacht on the Western Front during World War II. Russia would not have attacked Ukraine if the strength of the Ukrainian armed forces and Western support had been correctly assessed. Terrorists often choose easy (defenseless) targets. The scenario of Hamas' brutal attack on the Israeli population, with more than 1,200 dead and 240 hostages, is a typical example.
Published on Saturday, December 23, 2023