“Defense must not turn into retaliation”

Tomorrow, April 7th, it will be six months since the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel, murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped around 240.

The ensuing war in the Gaza Strip has also dominated the headlines in the past week: there was the death of seven helpers from the organization “World Central Kitchen” in an air strike by the Israeli military at the beginning of the week. The accident sparked international outrage and outrage, and US President Joe Biden directed serious accusations at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Then there was the attack on the Iranian mission complex in Damascus on Monday, for which Israel is blamed and in which two brigadier generals and five other members of the Revolutionary Guard died.

All of this is now added to an overall devastating result: according to the Ministry of Health (MoH) there, around 33,000 people died in Gaza as a result of counterattacks by the Israeli military.

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas' destructive hatred. The goal of the terrorist organization is to deprive Israelis of their homeland and, if possible, to extinguish the life of every Jew.

But what Netanyahu is doing about it is not right. He increases the danger to his country and punishes the innocent.

Germany is under increasing international pressure because of its fundamental solidarity with Israel. Germany can and should withstand pressure, and it should in no way compromise solidarity with the country itself and its residents. But German politicians don't have to accept Netanyahu's course.

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have now also toughened their tone towards the Israeli government, my colleagues Marina Kormbaki and Christoph Schult report; Both often accompany and observe German politicians on their trips abroad.

In my colleagues' report, the SPD's Bundestag Vice President, Aydan Özoğuz, also commented: Nobody should undermine Israel's right to defend itself, she says, and points out that Hamas "continues to commit terrible war crimes." Then she adds: “Israel’s defense must not turn into retaliation.”

That is a very good sentence.

  • The whole story here: A German dilemma 

Heart project in danger

Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus (Greens) is fighting for basic child welfare. It is her most important reform project, her passion project. But the way she's going about it is angering the FDP, especially in the last few days. She wants to create 5,000 additional government positions, something that is difficult to convey to a finance minister in times of austerity. And Finance Minister is Christian Lindner from the FDP.

The fact that the project is not making progress is also due to the minister herself, as my colleagues Milena Hassenkamp and Jonas Schaible write in a portrait of Lisa Paus: "In addition to her strategic clumsiness, there are also technical errors."

  • The whole story here: Why Lisa Paus is in danger of failing because of her most important reform 

Slovakia at the crossroads

Slovakia borders directly on Ukraine. Politically, the EU and NATO country is divided. Today a runoff election will decide the new head of state. This is not an unimportant election for Europe because it will also decide the country's foreign policy course. On the one hand, Parliament Speaker Peter Pellegrini is running, who is considered an ally of the Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico. On the other hand, the pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korčok is up for election; although he is independent, he is supported by the opposition. It will also be a question of how the country's willingness to support Ukraine develops.

My colleague Walter Mayr visited Slovakia before the elections for a background report and wrote in it: "Hardly anywhere else in EU territory does the Kremlin propaganda, which sees the West as a warmonger and emphasizes the solidarity of Slavic nations, currently fall on more fertile ground than in the EU Slovakia."

  • More background: Slovak opposition protests against restructuring of radio and television

Click here for the current daily quiz

Today's starting question: Which country does Easter Island belong to?

Winner of the day…

…is the band Abba. 50 years ago today she performed the song “Waterloo” at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). The Swedes' ESC victory was the beginning of a world career.

“I think that was actually the deciding factor,” says Abba musician, songwriter and producer Björn Ulvaeus in an interview with the German Press Agency in London, admitting that the band had not particularly prepared for the performance at the time.

Sometimes composure is the best prerequisite for success.

  • Agnetha Fältskog releases new solo single

The latest reports from the night

  • USA apparently warns of Iranian counterattack against Israel:

    Iran accuses Israel of the targeted killing of two generals. At her funeral in Tehran there were renewed threats of revenge. According to US media, Israel and the USA are on alert.

  • Family has not yet been able to bury German Hamas victim Shani Louk:

    Six months after Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, Shani Louk's family is fighting to repatriate the 22-year-old's body. Her body is still being held in the Gaza Strip.

  • US aviation authority is again examining the breakdown at Boeing - CEO forgoes bonus:

    In Texas, a Boeing 737-800 had to abort take-off due to an engine fire. CEO Calhoun foregoes his bonus for 2023 – and receives “only” $33 million.

I would particularly like to recommend this story to you today:

Ilja's trip to Tel Aviv

: A Berlin Jew travels to Israel after war breaks out there. He wants to help. And realizes that he feels safer there than in Germany. Now Ilya asks himself: Can you have two homes? My colleague Jonah Lemm accompanied him on his journey. 

I wish you a good start to the day.

Yours, Susanne Beyer, author of the editor-in-chief