Germany presents itself as a state reborn from catastrophe. Its Basic Law, drafted in the shadow of Nazism, begins with a sentence that was meant to ensure that the horrors of the past could never recur: “Human dignity shall be inviolable.”

It is the cornerstone of post-war German democracy, a declaration that dignity belongs to every person, without exception. Yet in practice, that promise has been selectively applied. When it comes to Israel’s war on Palestinians, Germany has elevated another principle above human dignity: support for Israel as Staatsräson ( reason of state/ raison d’etre ) , a doctrine that is treated as untouchable.

Olaf Scholz, when he was Chancellor told the Bundestag or German parliament in October 2023, “At the moment there is only one place for Germany,

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