Readers Disagree on Best Response to the War in Gaza

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. Not all reader comments have been published. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

I do not agree with Germany's stance in support of support Israel. The same old mistakes are being made. Violence is fought with violence and that by a military power which is much much stronger to wipe out the weaker opponent. Transformation can only happen through love and compassion. I would have thought that Jews would have more compassion for the underdog considering their own past sufferring. Each side will have to learn to live with each other in the same land. -- Reiner Schmitt, Australia

I feel very saddened that the government of Germany has chosen to support both the US and Israel on this inhuman conflict waged against people already in a very bad situation. I would prefer to see the government seek to resolve the terrible conditions that Palestinians have to bear. If they were able to live in peace as well as Isreali citizens do with the same freedoms, there would be no conflicts or extremism. -- Carol Lee Murphy, Canada

Germany is still too shy to speak independantly from the US due its guilt because of the Holocaust. Germany needs to find the courage to confront the situation like it is, regardless of who is the perpetrator. Israel policy of bombs versus rockets will not bring peace to Palestine. Only by solving the future of a Palestinian state and the role of Jerusalem between two states will the situation be solved. But the hardliners in Israel do not give the Palestinians the same right they want for themselves, the right to exist. -- Rolf Brulez. Australia

I am a mother of two very young children and I simply can't imagine how one human can do this to another. Even with all these images of innocent people dying and wounded, the rest of the world seems to be sleeping. I pray toGod and appeal to anyone who has a heart to stop the blood shed right now. -- Huma Chaudhry, Pakistan

Hamas was elected in a massive majority by the Palestinian people. The EU was there during elections with a full complement of election monitors and testified that the elections were "clean" and only minor problems were reported at the polling stations. Just because some Western political leaders don't like the policies of Hamas, doesn't mean they were not democratically-elected. Therefore, they are the legally permitted and elected representatives of the Palestinian people. -- John Brian Shannon, Canada

Almost everyone is demanding that Israel stop it's "aggression" in Gaza. Who is blaming Iran and Syria for their original financing and arranging the arms flow to Hamas in Gaza? -- Charles Akselrad, US

I support the German government decision to support Israel concerning the attacks on Gaza. -- Dennis Young, US

If the EU wants to have a role in resolving the conflict between Israel and Gaza, the EU should seek to discover the Gazans who do not support Hamas and give them some media exposure. The EU should also be supporting Israel, which is confronting Islamic terrorism instead of seeking ways to placate Islamic terrorists and their agent provocateurs. -- Charles Smyth, Great Britain