Israel-Hamas war opens up German debate over meaning of ‘Never again’
Intellectuals clash over country's traditional commitment to defence of Israel amid bloodshed in Gaza
The phrase Never again" has been the central tenet of Germany's political identity since the horrors of the Nazi-led Holocaust of Europe's Jewish population. But the war between Israel and Hamas has opened up a fiercely fought debate about the phrase's true meaning, dividing opinion among followers of the dominant German intellectual tradition.
A letter published in the Guardian pits several prominent German and international figures influenced by the Frankfurt School of neo-Marxist critical theory" against its most prominent living member, Jurgen Habermas. They argue that Never again" must also mean staying alert to the possibility that what is unfolding in Gaza could amount to genocide.
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