Discussion round
Steinmeier cancels event on the Middle East war
After criticism of the line-up of the panel discussion planned for May 2nd, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier canceled the event. photo
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
Since the Hamas attack on Israel, Federal President Steinmeier has hosted several round tables on the Middle East. The next one should be next week. But it disappears. Why?
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has one planned Discussion in Bellevue Palace on the Middle East war canceled next week. To the event “How do we talk about the war in the Middle East?” The director of the Anne Frank educational institution, Meron Mendel, the journalist Tilo Jung and the expert on German-Israeli relations, Melody Sucharewicz, were invited. Steinmeier wanted to give a speech and then discuss it with his guests.
According to information from the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, there has been criticism of the composition of the round table in the past few days. For example, it was criticized that no Palestinian voice had been invited.
In a statement from the Federal President’s Office, which the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” quotes and which is also available to the German Press Agency, it says: “The Federal President’s Office has come to the conclusion that the round table planned for May 2nd is inappropriate in the current tense situation “The situation does not serve the goal of strengthening social peace. The event will therefore not take place at this time.”
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th and the start of the war in the Middle East, the Federal President has invited people to round tables several times. The aim was to counter anti-Semitism, hatred and violence, to open up space for the pain on all sides, to enable dialogue and to strengthen social peace, the statement continued. Interlocutors with different positions, perspectives and backgrounds were invited.