Anwar Ibrahim is visiting Germany, a friend of Israel, who has been alleged to also be supplying arms to Israel, which possibily is being used to kill Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied Territory - Will Anwar be raising this concerns during his visit - will he be calling for Germany to repent.
Nicaragua has just dragged Germany to ICJ for facilitating Israel's Genocide - See Application filed in ICJ . This happened in early March, long before Anwar's visit.
Would not this issue of Germany's cutting aid to the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), and its support of Israel be a JUSTIFIABLE reason for Anwar to delay, or even cancel his visit as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian People?
It is about 'mutual growth" - so, is Malaysia OK with this, despite the fact that we know Germany's pro-Israel stance, including the fact or allegations that Germany is providing arms to Israel, arms that are most likely used in the killing of now about 30,000 Palestinians.
Are national principles and values SIDELINED by Anwar and this government?
Germany welcomes Anwar on maiden visit, fostering economic cooperation and mutual growth
BERLIN: An enduring friendship built on strong economic ties and mutual respect, with a keen eye on the future, will set the tone for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's first official visit as prime minister to Germany today.
After concluding a successful tour of Melbourne and Canberra, where Australian companies expressed interest in investing RM24.5 billion in Malaysia, the prime minister will now train his sight on German investors, both new as well as those already with a presence in Malaysia, as part of his visit to Berlin and Hamburg.
Malaysian Ambassador to Germany, Datin Paduka Dr Adina Kamarudin, said the prime minister's intensive six-day itinerary will see him meet senior German leadership, captains of industry, academics and policymakers as well as the Malaysian diaspora.
The prime minister is scheduled to arrive in Berlin Brandenburg Airport at 10pm on March 10, where he will be welcomed upon arrival by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Adina as well as German government representatives.
Apart from Mohamad, also accompanying him for his visit are International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick.
Adina said the prime minister will begin his series of programmes on March 11 with a visit to the Siemens Energy plant in Berlin. Siemens, she said, had invested heavily in Malaysia and is currently focusing on renewable energy.
This will be followed by a courtesy visit to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace, who in February last year had visited Malaysia.
Steinmeier, in his visit, had stated that Malaysia is set to become a key destination for German companies to diversify their businesses and investments, with more than 700 German companies in Malaysia creating 65,000 jobs.
"This can, in a way, be viewed as a furtherance of the discussion that they had previously. President Steinmeyer is known for his deep interest in Malaysia and enjoys a keen friendship with the prime minister, evidenced from his visit to the prime minister's office in Putrajaya during his visit to Malaysia," she said.
Later in the evening, Anwar will be accorded an official welcome with full military honours by Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Federal Chancellery, followed by a four-eyed meeting with Scholz.
The two leaders will hold a joint press conference with Malaysian and German media before attending a dinner hosted by Scholz.
The following day, Anwar will attend a business roundtable meeting with around 30 captains of industry, followed by a business meeting with selected companies.
These captains of industry, she said, comprise significant players in the German economy, and key investors to Malaysia.
Adina said the business meeting with selected companies, meanwhile, include major names such as Infineon, Schott AG, Melexis and Airbus, which are significant for possible investments in the future.
In the evening, the prime minister will then hold a session with the Malaysian diaspora in Germany, which will include students, working professionals as well as those who have chosen to settle down in Germany.
After the breaking of fast and Maghrib prayers, the prime minister will then join the congregation at the Sehitlik Mosque in Berlin for Isyak and Tarawih prayers. Anwar will then engage with the German Muslim community for an exchange of views.
The following day, Anwar will begin his programme with an interactive session at the Körber Foundation in Berlin, an independent, non-profit think tank which focuses on international relations including issues pertaining to the Middle East.
He will then meet with German vice-chancellor Robert Habeck before attending the Mittlestand, also known as SME Future Day, an annual small-medium enterprises conference where the prime minister will also be delivering a keynote address.
Adina said Anwar's meeting with Habeck, who is also Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, will likely see the leaders discuss issues such as Malaysia's palm oil export to Europe and climate change.
Adina said the German economy is unique in that it does not rely heavily on multinational companies (MNCs), with its main driver being the Mittlestand, or SMEs.
"However, the size of their SMEs is on a scale vastly different than that of Malaysian companies. Their request for the prime minister's presence at this event was done way back in July," she said, noting that the Mittlestand offers key investment opportunities for Malaysia.
Adina said German companies have a favourable view of Malaysia due to a host of factors, such as the various incentives offered, especially customised tax incentives and the supporting role played by agencies like the Malaysia Investment Development Authority or MIDA.
"They are very comfortable with our One Stop Centre. There is also the ease of doing business with agencies such AS MIDA, with the Immigration Department providing the necessary support, as well as the English-speaking population," she said.
In Hamburg, Anwar will attend Friday prayers at the El Nour Mosque before conducting a business meeting with Nexperia. He will then attend the 101st East Asia Friendship Dinner (Ostasiatisches Liebesmahl) by the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (Ostasiatische Verein - OAV) before departing for Kuala Lumpur.
Germany has been Malaysia's largest trading partner among European Union members since 2000, while Malaysia is Germany's biggest trading partner in Asean.
In 2023, Malaysia's total trade with Germany rose by 5.9 per
cent to RM63.45 billion (US$13.90 billion) compared to RM59.87 billion
(US$13.62 billion) in 2022. - NST, 10/3/2024
Berlin, Germany – More than 500 global artists, filmmakers, writers and culture workers have announced a push against Germany’s stance on Israel’s war on Gaza, calling on creatives to step back from collaborating with German state-funded associations. ...Symbols of pro-Palestine support have been banned, authorities in Berlin have banned rallies, and, in a move that was widely condemned as discriminatory, the German president has called on Arabs to distance themselves from Hamas..- Al Jazeera, 11/1/2024
A leading German human rights group on Monday termed the recent sporadic ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations “highly problematic.”
“It is also important to combat antisemitism and not fuel racism. It will only be successful if politics, the media and society do not place those parts of the population who are perceived as Palestinian, Arab or Muslim under general suspicion,” said Beate Rudolf, the director of the German Institute for Human Rights, during a news conference in Berlin.
“This
is why long-term bans on pro-Palestinian demonstrations are highly
problematic. To be clear: All people in Germany have the right to
freedom of assembly. This also gives them the right to peacefully
express grief over the victims in Gaza (war) and solidarity with the
people there,” she added. - AA, 4/12/2023
Nicaragua drags Germany to ICJ for ‘facilitating Israel’s genocide’ in Gaza
Managua accuses Berlin of violating the Genocide Convention by funding Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Latin American country accused Berlin of violating international law in its continued funding for Tel Aviv and asked the ICJ to order emergency measures that would force Germany to cease military aid to Israel, and restart funding to the UNRWA.
A hearing date is not yet known, however, the ICJ, also known as the World Court, usually starts proceedings on requests for emergency measures within weeks.
At least nine UNRWA donors, including the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the United Kingdom, suspended funding after allegations that about 12 of the tens of thousands of Palestinians employed by the agency were suspected of participating in Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel.
But Israel has yet to provide evidence to UN investigators more than a month after it made its claims.
“By sending military equipment and now defunding UNRWA which provides essential support to the civilian population, Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide,” Nicaragua said in its filing, citing the 1948 Genocide Convention and the 1949 Geneva Conventions on the laws of war in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Germany is a key ally of Tel Aviv, and is one of its biggest arms providers alongside the United States, according to UN experts.
Deaths due to hunger
Berlin was the second biggest donor to UNRWA after the US in 2022 when it pledged $202m to the agency.
The UNRWA has warned that the suspension of its funding could lead to the agency being unable to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has seen deaths due to hunger and a lack of health facilities. On Thursday, at least 117 people were killed after Israel fired at hundreds of Palestinians waiting to collect food aid in Gaza City. The incident has triggered global condemnation and calls for an independent investigation.
Emergency measures, Nicaragua said in its Friday filing, were necessary because of Berlin’s “participation in the ongoing plausible genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law” in the Gaza Strip.
Under the genocide agreement, countries agree not to commit genocide, meaning complicity in the act is a violation. The pact also enables member states to actively prevent and punish possible genocide.
The Managua case comes after an earlier and much-followed filing by South Africa last December which accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
In February, the ICJ ruled that Pretoria’s claims that Israel violated the genocide convention were not implausible and ordered emergency measures, including a call for Israel to halt any potential acts of genocide in Gaza.
Israel, which defended itself in the South Africa hearings, has denied allegations of genocide, citing “self-defence”, though experts have questioned Israel’s “right to defence” as an occupying power. The case is continuing. Last week, Human Rights Watch said hampering the delivery of aid by Israel was a violation of the January 26 ICJ order.
“The Israeli government is starving Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians, putting them in even more peril than before the World Court’s binding order,” Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, said on February 26.
Israel has also been criticised for targeting civilians, with more than 80 percent of those killed being women and children. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and about 7,000 remain missing since Israel launched its brutal assault on October 7 in the wake of a deadly attack carried out by the Palestinian Hamas group.
In separate proceedings at the ICJ, more than 50 countries in February presented arguments against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and occupied East Jerusalem since 1967.
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