Overview
- In an interview with Tagesspiegel reported by dpa, former German President Joachim Gauck urged a more determined response to antisemitism, including cases originating in the Arab world and on the political left.
- Gauck said Israel’s defense after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 was justified, but he criticized the subsequent manner of warfare as exceeding what he can accept.
- He voiced reluctance to visit Israel, citing right‑wing parties backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what he called their arrogant view of Palestinians.
- Gauck rejected efforts to exclude Israel from events such as the Eurovision Song Contest and opposed boycotts targeting Israeli scientists and artists, calling them the wrong strategy.
- The comments were set against the Gaza war’s origins in the October 7 massacre that killed about 1,200 people and led to more than 250 abductions, with over 68,500 deaths in Gaza reported by the Hamas‑controlled health authority and an officially declared but fragile ceasefire since October 10.