Time for concern for German democracy

The great provocation launched by the decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem has once again laid bare, in all its nakedness, an X-ray image of the power relations in the world order we live in. Of course, this X-ray has also shown the full falseness of the US position as mediator between Palestine and Israel until now...

With this decision the US proclaimed that it is not a mediator in the matter but a fanatical party, and that in these negotiations it had merely worked, slyly, for the Israeli side, as was already known. That unarmed Palestinians who exercised their right to protest against this provocation were subjected to a massacre by Israel created a situation requiring everyone, in the name of humanity, to declare which side they are on. In this process, according to those power relations, it was once again seen who is close to humanity and who is chained within these power relations.

In the Islamic world, the reason for the feeble voices of the Islamic countries is well enough known. It is futile to expect those who owe their existence to the division of the world order that also founded Israel to raise their voice against these crimes whatever happens.

As for Europe, which has almost identified its reason for being with discourses of democracy and human rights, the ontology of its voiding all those discourses by subjecting them to re-interpretation anew, to the point of over-interpretation, whenever Israel is concerned, is no different.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the developments in Jerusalem, is reported to have placed all the blame for the deaths of 60 people and the wounding of 2,500 as a result of the volley of fire opened by Israeli soldiers on civilian unarmed demonstrators on the Palestinian demonstrators "disturbing the peace in the region." In the same conversation Merkel did not neglect to take the occasion to congratulate the State of Israel on its 70th founding anniversary. Merkel also stated that Germany understands Israel's security concerns, and that freedom of thought and the right to peaceful demonstration should not be abused for the purpose of creating unrest.

How different the Merkel facing Israel is from the Merkel facing Turkey, isn't it? This difference of course stems from the side she takes. How similar is the understanding she shows toward the FETÖ members who staged a coup and killed 250 people and wounded more than 2,000 to the understanding she shows toward Israel? Likewise, how well does the understanding and empathy she shows toward PKK terrorists coincide with the lack of understanding she shows toward Turkey, which wages a struggle for existence, peace and security against them? Evidently Merkel and her friends see Israel, FETÖ and the PKK on the same side, and Turkey and Palestine on the same side. And they determine their lines accordingly, in the front row, while swelling all their sensitivities about democracy and human rights according to this alignment.

If only they would not make democracy and human rights discourses tools of their rancor, their hostility and their partisanship. They do not refrain from falsifying even the book they themselves wrote on democracy and human rights whenever they want and however they want. Evidently this trait of theirs will never change: falsifying the book.

Of course, it is a fact that because of Germany's Nazi past, its guilt toward the Jews has chained it to a position of unconditional obedience before Israel. In this respect, when it comes to Israel, Merkel certainly does not represent the feelings and will of her own people. If there were real democracy in Germany in this matter, the German people's stance toward Israel would never be this. German political will is under Israel's mortgage, and so it is futile to expect a free stance from Germany. But a Germany that is not free playing the role of a free country when it comes to Turkey sticks out too much.

THE FALSIFICATION OF THE BOOK OF DEMOCRACY IN GERMANY

In fact, another edifying example of "falsifying the book of democracy" is taking place in Germany these days. Germany, which characterizes the state of emergency (OHAL) in Turkey as a departure from democracy without regard to its causes or its beginning and end, and which has taken an open stance against Turkey on that account, saw a police law passed last week in its state of Bavaria that is, as if saying "a state of emergency is not like that, it is like this," enough to give the world a lesson.

Regarded as the law granting the police the broadest powers since World War II, this regulation grants the police the authority to intervene in a case of "potential danger." The Police Law, adopted on Tuesday evening in the state parliament with 89 votes to 67, contains many controversial points, from the speed of police intervention to DNA screening and the broadening of the scope of use of body cameras fitted to uniforms.

The Police Law also grants the right to examine the DNA traces of suspects under investigation. Those who prepared the law argue that potential threats can be narrowed down with data such as sex, eye, skin and hair color, age and origin.

Also, according to the law, the scope of body camera use by the Bavarian police has been expanded. The police have the right to use body cameras in homes too, without a court order. The scope of the technical means granted to the police has also been expanded by the new regulation. For example, access to personal computing data such as "cloud storage" will be possible.

Setting aside the extent to which the measures opened up in the case of "potential danger" violate people's entire private lives and freedom of expression, the criticism made by trade unions and the opposition is that the sticking of the "potential danger" label is subject to a completely arbitrary assessment. But despite these criticisms, the matter has been enacted into law.

Not even a tenth of the uproar that would break out if some of these practices were in Turkey breaks out in Germany.

No criticism from Merkel that Bavaria is moving away from democracy has yet been heard.

Yet these are, plainly, the footsteps of fascism. And there is a danger that it could start in Bavaria and spread to the whole country.

Don't we have the right to feel concern on behalf of German democracy?