Gaza: German celebrities write open letter to Merz
In the open letter with the emotional headline "Don't let Gaza die, Mr. Merz," the artists welcome the fact that Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken a stand in recent days, criticizing the Israeli government. But one thing is clear: "Words alone don't save lives," they write, urging the CDU politician to take further steps.
Gaza: Three concrete actionsSpecifically, they ask him for three things with regard to Israel's war in Gaza : a halt to all German arms exports to Israel , support for the suspension of the EU Association Agreement with Israel, and a demand for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarian aid. They point to the suffering of children in the Gaza Strip and emphasize: "We, too, condemn the horrific crimes of Hamas in the strongest possible terms. But no crime legitimizes the collective punishment of millions of innocent people in the most brutal way."
The just over 200 initial signatories include the actresses Christiane Paul, Liv Lisa Fries and Meret Becker, the actors Daniel Brühl , Benno Führmann and Jürgen Vogel, the presenters Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, the musicians Shirin David and Zartmann as well as the author Marc-Uwe Kling.
"These steps are deeply in line with European values and would make it unmistakably clear to the Israeli government that even its closest allies can no longer tolerate the suffering and that words are no longer enough," the appeal states. Children who are not part of the war yet bear its burden are starving and dying in the Gaza Strip.
There has been no response from the Chancellery so far. The action was organized by the campaign group Avaaz in collaboration with film director Laura Fischer.
ka / ie (dpa / Der Spiegel)
dw
