JANUARY 5 — In the corridors of power in Berlin, a dark tableau unfolds—a grim dance of politics and profit, woven tightly with the threads of historical guilt and strategic alliances. As Germany postures on the international stage, wielding the dual masks of morality and pragmatism, a troubling allegiance to a genocidal agenda simmers beneath its veneer of civilisation.
At the heart of this spectacle lies a chilling paradox: a nation, once the architect of unparalleled horrors, now finds itself in a tacit pact with oppression, its hands gripped on the levers of economic and military complicity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister for their roles in what has been termed as genocidal acts in Gaza. Yet, amid the international outcry and the damning reports from Amnesty International, Germany’s leaders shuffle evasively at press conferences, choosing obfuscation over action.
November’s air in Berlin was thick with evasion as a government spokesperson grappled awkwardly with questions about the ICC’s findings. The response was a masterclass in diplomatic doublespeak: acknowledging the court’s authority yet retreating into the shadows of improbability when it came to arresting Netanyahu on German soil.
December brought no clarity, with German officials contorting themselves into rhetorical pretzels to justify Israel’s self-defence narrative against the backdrop of documented atrocities. It seems that Germany, a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC, prefers the safety of denial and the status quo, rather than confronting the harrowing truths laid bare by global watchdogs.
The narrative Germany clings to—that of a nation forever repenting its past by unconditionally aligning with Israel—is a facade that crumbles under scrutiny. This isn’t about historical responsibility; it’s about strategic interests cloaked in the garb of moral imperatives. The settler-colonial projects, the systemic erasure of Palestinian existence, and the unabated support of these actions sketch a picture not of duty but of cold, calculated self-interest.
The economic underpinnings are stark and straightforward. German banks, insurance giants, and arms manufacturers are deeply enmeshed with their Israeli counterparts. A deviation from this entrenched alliance threatens not just diplomatic fallout but substantial financial losses. It’s a classic tale of geopolitics, where the moral compass conveniently swings in favour of economic gains and international influence.
In this high-stakes geopolitical game, Palestinians are relegated to mere pawns—nameless, faceless casualties of a broader agenda. Merkel’s proclamations and the Bundestag’s resolutions serve as nothing but smoke and mirrors, obfuscating a grim reality with the veneer of righteousness.
The question, then, is not of Germany’s dilemma but of its choice—a choice made starkly evident in its relentless support for a regime that has turned oppression into an art form. As Merkel once asserted, Israel’s security is Germany’s raison d’être, a sentiment that has morphed into a blanket justification for turning a blind eye to genocidal practices.
History, Marx remarked, repeats first as tragedy and then as farce. Germany, in its unyielding support of Israel, encapsulates this with tragic precision. As it stands with a nation embroiled in genocidal actions, Germany is not just witnessing history’s farce but actively participating in it.
The hour calls for Germany to strip away its ideological veil, to confront its convenient narratives of moral obligation, and to truly reckon with its role on the world stage. Only then can it step away from the shadows of complicity and towards a more equitable and just global order. Until then, the shackles of self-interest and historical manipulation hold firm, and the dance goes on—under the dim lights of realpolitik, where human rights are but whispers drowned out by the clinking of coins and the rustling of banknotes.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
