Germany should not underestimate Hamas's ideology, warned Israeli Ambassador Prosor during a panel discussion. He is placing his hopes on the Arab states for a lasting peace solution.
Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor warned Germany against downplaying Hamas ideology. "If you don't take this ideology seriously and act against it today, you will weep tomorrow," the Israeli ambassador said Monday evening during a panel discussion in Wetzlar, in central Hesse.
Israel made this mistake in 2005: The withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was linked to the hope of taking a first step toward peace. Therefore, Israel abandoned the settlements, especially since they were considered an "obstacle to peace" worldwide. But Hamas interpreted the withdrawal as a sign of weakness, brought about by terrorism. The withdrawal was an incentive to continue with terror. Prosor was then State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry. "We downplayed this ideology. I also bear responsibility for that."
The panel discussion, held at the offices of the Christian broadcaster ERF, was initiated by the organization Christians on the Side of Israel (CSI). The organizers were CSI, ERF, the Evangelical News Agency IDEA, and the Christian media initiative pro, which includes Israelnetz.
IDEA's co-director, Daniela Städter, moderated the discussion. Participants included Prosor, the antisemitism commissioner of the state of Hesse, Uwe Becker (CDU), and the Protestant chairman of the Society for Jewish-Christian Cooperation Gießen-Wetzlar, Wolfgang Grieb.
Prosor: Israel must invade Rafah
Prosor also addressed current developments: He called the UN Security Council resolution adopted on Monday "very problematic." The text mentions a ceasefire first and only then the release of the hostages. Should a ceasefire be implemented, Hamas would no longer have any reason to release the hostages. "This is a reward for a terrorist organization that has formulated the annihilation of the Jewish state and the Jewish people as a 'raison d'état,' spoken openly about it, and put it into practice."
Referring to the military situation, the ambassador stated that Israel must invade Rafah to completely defeat Hamas. He cited the Al-Shifa Hospital as evidence: Israel had already been there in mid-November, but the terrorists had returned. The reason, he explained, was that the army had warned the local population the first time. Terrorists had taken advantage of this warning, leaving the hospital only to return later.
Becker agreed with Prosor: Israel must defeat Hamas – “also in the interest of the Palestinian population, who are being used as human shields and ultimately taken hostage.” Israel is not waging a campaign of annihilation against the Palestinians, but is fighting for its very existence. The Jewish state must take action against Hamas so that the people in the south and north can once again lead peaceful lives.
Discussion about the right model
Pastor Grieb, however, called for a "ceasefire to allow for reflection." Israel must consider how to proceed after the war. To this end, it is essential to intensify contacts with "moderate groups." A change in settlement policy could motivate moderate Palestinians to advocate for a shared life. He drew hope from the Israeli Arabs in this regard, whose integration he considered a "success story.".
However, the Palestinians are currently subjected to "dramatic disenfranchisement" by Israel. Furthermore, the government has "moved very far to the right." For a lasting arrangement, there is no alternative to the "two-state solution," even if it is still a long way off.
Prosor and Becker expressed more skepticism. Becker argued that the fundamentals of a Palestinian state should be discussed first. Such a state, he said, would currently aim to eliminate Israel. The Palestinians, he asserted, needed to address their problems, and terrorism was the first and foremost one of them.
Prosor countered that the problem wasn't the creation of a Palestinian state – the Palestinians had had many opportunities to do so in the past. The real problem was the acceptance of a Jewish state.
A plea for personal encounters
The ambassador pointed out that the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates had changed attitudes toward Israel. Visits to the country had made it possible to dismantle prejudices. "We need more encounters with our Arab neighbors. That's how we can achieve peace."
With regard to the Palestinians, Prosor advocated for the involvement of the Arab states. A quartet consisting of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia could be "part of the solution." These states have understood that Hamas—and behind Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood—also pose a threat to themselves. "If these states don't just say what they really think behind closed doors, you'll see that there is a great deal of agreement on this." (Israelnetz/Editorial Team)
