Does anyone remember the former candidate for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Gesine Schwan? After what she did this week, you have to be glad that she was never elected our head of state.
The SPD politician and former director of the European University Frankfurt/Oder Gesine Schwan gave the keynote speech at a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation and several members of the audience left the hall in protest. In her speech, Ms. Schwan claimed, among other things, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's postulated goal of a “total victory” over Hamas would mean that the Israeli army would kill civilians and terrorists indiscriminately. In Carl Schmitt's logic, “total victory” is only conceivable through the complete annihilation of all real and potential Hamas fighters. This means that there is no longer any limit to the killing of Palestinian civil society”. Schwan is insinuating that Netanyahu is following the thought patterns of the Nazi mastermind Carl Schmitt (1888-1985). The political philosopher and lawyer had legitimized the dictatorship of the National Socialists in his writings. He justified the putsch against SA leader Ernst Röhm with the words: “The Führer protects the law.” This was not to be Gesine Schwan's only Nazi comparison that evening. For Schwan, it is clear that Israeli policy is “implicitly and explicitly geared towards the expulsion or annihilation of the Palestinians as a nation”. Such a policy does not bring peace and also contradicts “the moral obligations and human rights that the Germans invoked during and after National Socialism”. Schwan, who chairs the SPD's Basic Values Commission, thus legitimizes her criticism of Israel with the lessons of National Socialism. More information on the hatred in her speech and the reactions can be found in German here: https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/politik/nach-festrede-bei-der-gesellschaft-fuer-christlich-juedische-zusammenarbeit-veranstalter-stuft-vortrag-von-gesine-schwan-als-unpassend-ein/ and here: https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/meinung/gesine-schwan-rechnet-die-schoa-gegen-israels-politik-auf/
The Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation distanced itself from its keynote speaker in a statement immediately: “We apologize for this inappropriate speech and distance ourselves from it,” the society announced. Unfortunately, contrary to expectations, Ms. Schwan had not only focused on the anniversary, but had also focused her speech on the current political situation in Israel in an “inappropriate form”. “She was very critical of the Israeli government's actions against Hamas, which caused great unease and horror among many of our guests, especially the Jewish members,” the statement continued. So much for everyday madness and disrespectfulness.
But now to more personal things 😊
I was able to complete a nice project this week and I am looking forward to the background materials I created going into use soon (https://komm-auf-tour.de/). I already mentioned the project here some time ago, and now it is finished.
Other materials I have created are already available - you can see more here: https://www.westermann.de/artikel/978-3-14-116814-3/Mensch-und-Politik-SI-Ausgabe-2021-fuer-Rheinland-Pfalz-Hamburg-und-das-Saarland-Schulbuch
The additional material for Hamburg is written by me and has finally been published.
My authors are also working very hard and we have published several materials this week where students can test themselves. I am always very happy about these online exercises.
As always, last month's trip to Canada also took some time to process. I have deepened many contacts and received new information - something is happening! I will report more as soon as I can.
Another big project is also in the works and I am currently struggling with publisher contacts. Publishers are like giant tankers in my eyes. Super slow, in both directions. It always takes ages before anything happens and then it takes ages before the final product comes out.
Unfortunately, that doesn't suit me at all. I think it is not only a question of time and income, but also a matter of respect for me and my work.
Oh and there is more on the respect topic:
Interestingly, the Margot Friedländer Prize was awarded last week. I was nominated for the prize, but never received any feedback and then found out from the press that the prize had been awarded - obviously not to me. Then on Tuesday I received an email telling me that I was not one of the prize winners... oh, really? Really? As good as I think the foundation's commitment is - social competence still needs to be practiced. It would just be kind to inform the people who are not among the prize winners before the award ceremony and - a matter of respect.