Today is the 80th anniversary of the WWII bombardment of the German naval base on the island of Heligoland by the British, who dropped around 7000 bombs on the island, resulting in heavy German military casualties and the complete evacuation of the island. I know this because it was one of the top news items this morning on the Bavarian radio station I listen to. After speaking in solemn tones about this historical atrocity, the announcer moved smoothly on to an item about pro-Palestine protesters facing deportation from Berlin – three of whom are EU citizens. And in other news, chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz accused Putin of war crimes for last Sunday’s bombing of Sumy.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to practice genocide in Palestine without any admonishment from Merz. With a stated policy of zero tolerance for anti-semitism, the German government has been cracking down on any criticism of Israel’s actions – protesters arrested, events cancelled, speaking Arabic banned at protests, and public figures have been pressured to curb their opinions. Since July last year, anyone applying for German citizenship is required to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist (a bizarre requirement, as nation states do not in fact have any rights to exist).

How can Merz condemn Putin as a war criminal for horrific acts in Ukraine while turning a blind eye to Netanyahu’s even worse atrocities in Gaza? The Israeli government does not get a free pass to wreak violence on their neighbours simply because the Jewish people were victims of the Holocaust. How can Germany mourn and commemorate the tragedies of WWII at the same time as ignoring the tragedies that are unfolding right in front of their eyes?

However beholden the German government feels towards Israel, it is undeniably hypocritical to condemn massacres in Ukraine but not in Palestine; and to lament the violence of eight decades ago while failing to comment on the violence of today.

There has to be a two-state solution; if Israel has a right to exist, so too does Palestine – but more importantly, the people have a right to exist peacefully, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. The people of the region don’t want war, they want a peaceful solution. Thousands of Israelis are refusing to fight in Netanyahu’s war. These are the Israelis Germany should support, not the war-mongering politicians.