The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has inflamed passions around the world. In Germany, home to Europe’s second-largest Muslim community, calls are growing to end the bloodshed and spare civilian lives. Pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian groups have long feuded over who holds the moral high-ground in this ongoing conflict, but consensus is widespread that non-combatants in Gaza are paying the price for the inability of Hamas and Israel to negotiate a peace to this most recent outbreak of violence. In Germany, which has Western Europe’s second-largest Muslim population after France, many in the Muslim community see Hamas as the instigator in this recent episode but are calling for an end to the Israeli offensive for the sake of Palestinian civilians. Willy Ibrahimbegov, 24, a German Muslim whose family emigrated from Bosnia in 1989, said the Israeli offensive has been disproportionate when compared with Hamas rocket attacks. “I’m angry because it’s not fair what’s going on,” he said. “It’s clear that Hamas started the war again, but you cannot compare ten rockets to what Israel is doing. And you cannot compare two Israeli lives with a thousand lives in Palestine. These are lives of innocent people,” he said.
