Palestinian surgeon denied entry into Germany
A British-Palestinian surgeon was denied entry into Germany as crackdowns on those speaking up for the Palestinian cause have become the norm in the country, Middle East Eye reported on April 12.
It is understood that Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah – the University of Glasgow’s newly-elected Rector and a founding board member of Beirut-based non-profit, the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA) – was due to speak at a Palestine conference in Berlin, which took place on April 12.
Mr Abu Sittah, who left Gaza in November 2023, intended to speak about the work he had been doing in Gaza hospitals, which have now been all but obliterated, as well as informing attendees of the catastrophic humanitarian catastrophe taking place in the enclave currently.
Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign has killed 34,000 people since October 7, 70% of whom were women and children.
Since Hamas’ assault on southern Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been banned or cancelled, and authorities target individuals displaying Palestinian symbols, like the flag and keffiyeh. Phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free” have been criminalised.
Palestine-born novelist Adania Shibli was due on 20 October to be awarded the 2023 LiBeraturpreis, an annual prize given to female writers from Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Arab world at the Frankfurt book fair however the award ceremony was subsequently called off because “Hamas started the war”.
In November 2023, a cultural centre in the German capital saw its funding being slashed because they hosted an event from Jewish Voices for a Just Peace in the Middle East, a left-wing, anti-Zionist organisation.
READ: ICJ rules Israel committed genocide but won’t call Gaza ceasefire
Abu Sittah is the latest victim of a German government dedicated to censoring criticism of Israel and he took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice his frustrations: “Invited to address a conference in Berlin about my work in Gaza hospitals during the present conflict. The German government has forcibly prevented me from entering the country. Silencing a witness to genocide before the ICJ (International Court of Justice) adds to Germany’s complicity in the ongoing massacre.”
South Africa brought a genocide case against Israel to the ICJ in January and it is now the turn of Germany to face the UN’s top court as they are currently subject to a case from Nicaragua for “facilitating Israel’s genocide in Gaza”.
As the debate over arms sales to Israel heats up, those in favour of an arms embargo have pointed out Germany’s generous funding to the state despite an array of accusations from the global community that it is flouting international law.
Germany gave 326.5 million Euros worth of arms to Israel in 2023 and Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on October 12 last year, “Our own history, our responsibility deriving from the Holocaust makes it our permanent duty to stand up for the existence and security of the State of Israel. This responsibility guides us.”
Abu Sittah’s lockout from Germany has attracted anger as well as messages of support from like-minded individuals.
Prominent left-wing economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis wrote on X on April 13, “Germany did not just stop the Rector of the University of Glasgow Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah from entering Germany, to participate in our Palestine Congress, but threatened him with legal action if he dared send his intended speech by video. Question to German friends: In your name?”
The country’s Foreign Ministry did not publicly comment on the case of Abu Sittah.
Middle East Eye
