Editorial
Stern editor-in-chief
Anti-Semitism on German streets: We must not tolerate hatred
The current star-Cover: War Without Borders
After the Hamas attacks, Israel is defending itself against terrorism with all its might. How the conflict is now escalating here too.
© star
The situation in the Middle East is once again the dominant topic at the moment star-Magazine. Editor-in-chief Gregor Peter Schmitz is also concerned with anti-Semitism on Germany’s streets.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were not just an attack on New York and Washington, they were a nightmare for an entire country. I lived in the USA in the years after the attacks and not a day went by when this trauma was not felt. Hamas’ attacks against Israel are not comparable in many ways, but they are in one thing: they are a national nightmare. America was and is the most powerful country in the world, about 332 million inhabitants; it has allies everywhere. Israel is tiny, about the size of Hesse, with around ten million inhabitants, and countries in its neighborhood have declared the destruction of Israel their national goal. Relative to its population, Israel has experienced 9/11 just ten times.
Back then, America fell into the terrorists’ trap and lost its inner compass. The superpower first attacked Afghanistan and then Iraq, although the purpose remained dubious; those in power gave free rein to torture fantasies and soon found the rule of law to be an annoying restriction. The enemies were occasionally spoken of as if they were animals.
It is important to remember this so that Israel does not make a similar mistake. Israel’s friends – including us Germans, with particular awareness of our past – should advise moderation when Israeli officials vow to kill virtually every single Hamas member, which will inevitably include the deaths of many innocent civilians. We may point out that Hamas has also set a trap for Israel. The terrorists want Israel to morally isolate itself through mindless, harsh retaliation.
But what we must not do: confuse the aggressor and the victim. Israel was attacked in a barbaric manner. The attacks, decided by the Hamas government in Gaza, are not simply another facet in the endless Middle East conflict; They are, to use the most current German word, a turning point. That is why Israel has every right to defend itself, of course within the limits of international humanitarian law, which Hamas, unlike Israel, is always completely indifferent to. So Israel has to say: Yes, we are better than them. But there is no need to say: We put up with everything.
A morally unclean equation
Anyone who complains about impending or real Palestinian suffering without expressing a word of regret for Israeli suffering is creating a morally unclean equation. If Israel’s victims are hushed up or taken into account, it is barely disguised anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, we Germans know this better than anyone else. That’s precisely why we have to defend ourselves when he celebrates on our streets.
The star celebrates its 75th birthday this year. We celebrate this in the editorial team, in a special issue – and on TV. On October 19, 2023, Steffen Hallaschka invites you to a special edition of star TV on RTL. It will be about how star has written history and what stories he wants to continue to write. Celebrities such as Alice Schwarzer, Katarina Witt, Günther Jauch and Micky Beisenherz will be there. Please tune in on Thursday at 10.30 p.m., we look forward to seeing you.