With this statement we want to direct your attention to the humanitarian aspect of the crisis in the Middle East.
We support human life as the most precious value and so no political agenda on any side justifies the killing of innocent people.
We acknowledge the complexity of the situation as it is evolving now.
This is not just an Israeli-Palestine war, and it does not serve people. The position of Israel and Palestine among Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon Iran, Russia, China and the USA is not something we can look away from.
Saying this it is important to underline that Hamas is not fighting for Palestinian citizens but uses them as human shields, while Israel is fighting for its existence in an Arab world.
We do not deny the rights either to Palestinians nor to Israelites. What happens now though does not go in the direction of either supporting humanity or peoples lives.
The escalation of hatred, violence and fanaticism also outside the war zone impacts all of us. Peace is more and more out of range and the war atrocities and deaths will continue to traumatize people for generations to come.
We cannot stay neutral when human life is being destroyed and people are fighting for survival. That’s why we are condemning the horrible deeds of Hamas against the people of Israel and their homeland, as we are equally condemning the atrocities done as the response by the Israeli state against the Palestinian civilians in their homeland in Gaza.
It is equally heartbreaking to witness children die and suffer the shortage of basic life supplies as it is to imagine the agony of the relatives of hostages exposed to crude violence, no matter of what nationality and of what creed they are. They are all part of our common human family and they are all denied their basic human rights.
Therefore, together with all people of good will who are showing their compassion, concern and are protesting against the crimes against humanity, we are appealing to all who have any influence in the international political arena to exert all their influence for a peaceful resolution of the open wounds of the Middle East conflicts. Cease fire and release the hostages now!
EAGT Human Rights and Social Responsibility Committee
Tomaž Flajs, chair
Maria Denisenko
Larysa Didkovska
Katharina Stahlmann
Backroom members
Dieter Bongers
Joanna Kato
Guus Klaren
Executive Committee
Michał Lewandowski, Acting President
Olaf Zielke, Treasurer
Sofia Verulashvili, Secretary
Daina Udovicich Corelli, Chair TSC
