FRANKFURT AM MAIN (Own report) – International protest is mounting against the cancellation of a literature award to a Palestinian author at the Frankfurt Book Fair. At the end of last week, the director of the book fair, Juergen Boos, had decreed that “in light of the terror against Israel” the internationally highly praised book “A Minor Matter” by author Adania Shibli could not be honored in Frankfurt. A discussion panel with the Palestinian was also canceled. More than 700 writers, translators and publishers from all over the world, including Nobel Prize laureates and other world-famous authors, have been protesting against the German decision: Literature must “encourage understanding and dialogue between cultures,” they write. Moreover, writers and publishers from the Arab and/or Islamic world are withdrawing from the book fair. An Egyptian author declared that he does not want to be a party to “the silencing of Palestinian voices” in Frankfurt. Using cultural events to serve German foreign policy interests can already be observed since February 24, 2022 with the example of cancelling Russian culture – and now it is becoming more widespread. Read more

BERLIN/TEL AVIV/TEHERAN (Own report) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks during her trip to Israel last Friday comes under sharp criticism within the EU. Von der Leyen stressed Israel’s right to self-defense, but did not mention its obligation to comply with international law in operations in the Gaza Strip. This corresponds to Berlin’s official position, but torpedoes EU decisions. Her stance weighs heavily: Israel’s cutting Gaza off from water, energy and food is in violation of international law, as is the fact that countless civilians are falling victim to its bombardments. EU politicians warn that von der Leyen is once again exposing the Union to accusations of applying double standards in the Global South. This comes while the Gaza war risks spreading to other countries in the region. Iran is in the process of coordinating anti-Israel forces, for example in Lebanon. Israeli intelligence officials regret having once supported assassination and sabotage operations on Iranian territory: These acts had driven both countries into their current confrontation. Read more

Christian Schmidt, ein führender Außenpolitiker der CDU/CSU, fordert die europäischen Staaten auf, sich nicht länger der Ordnung des ,,Pax Americana"im Nahen Osten zu unterwerfen. Die vitalen Interessen der EU-Mitglieder erforderten es, daß sie sich in den Konflikt zwischen Israel und den arabischen Staaten einschalteten - auch mit militärischen Mitteln. Read more