Skip to main content

Germany's Consul General faces scrutiny over UN Charter silence on Israel-Gaza

By A Representative
 
The Consulate General of Germany in Bangalore recently hosted a celebration for the 35th Day of German Unity, where Consul General Achim Burkart's repeated references to the UN Charter in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war were noted by attendees as a positive affirmation of Germany's commitment to democratic multilateralism. However, the omission of the Charter when discussing the Israel-Gaza conflict has drawn pointed criticism regarding the perceived imbalance and partiality of his address.
In a detailed letter to the Consul General, UN Environmental Negotiator and Ecologist Dr. S. Faizi expressed his appreciation for the German Unity Day celebrations and the musical performance by Buck Rogers and Sidetrackers, while simultaneously raising serious concerns about the omission regarding Israel. Dr. Faizi, citing a strong connection to the German people and a history of working with the German Environment Ministry, argued that Israel represents the gravest threat to the UN Charter ever, moving beyond alleged atrocities to direct attacks on the UN system itself.
Dr. Faizi outlined five specific instances to support his claim: the Israeli UN Ambassador’s act of shredding the UN Charter on the podium of the General Assembly in May 2024; the Ambassador's subsequent call in August 2024 for the destruction of the UN headquarters in New York, stating it should be "wiped off from the face of the earth"; the Israeli Foreign Minister’s declaration of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as 'persona non grata' in October 2024, banning him from entering the country as a "categorical declaration of hostility" towards the UN; the Israeli Knesset’s action in July 2024 to designate UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) as a terrorist organization and subsequent legislation banning its operations in Israel and Gaza; and finally, the unprecedented killing of over 360 UNRWA staff in Gaza by the Israeli military since October 2023 (as of July 2025), including the summary execution of a staffer and his family.
The letter asserts that these "constant denouncement and breaches" have led to Israel’s ostracization, suggesting the country should be proscribed from the UN, possibly through General Assembly Rules of Procedure, as was done with apartheid South Africa, given that any direct attempt to suspend or remove Israel via UN Charter Articles 5 or 6 would likely face a veto by the USA. Dr. Faizi concluded by urging the Consul General to avoid presenting "ideas of bias and partial truths" to a captive audience, suggesting press conferences or seminars with diverse opinions as more appropriate forums for expressing government views on controversial issues, a practice he recalled was maintained by the previous German Consul General, Margit Hellwig-Bötte. Dr. Faizi affirmed his personal commitment to justice and harmony, traits he noted are ingrained in the social mind of his native Kerala.

Comments

TRENDING

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C.  In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria*  Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027.  However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative   Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative   The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan   In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

MGNREGA: How caste and power hollowed out India’s largest welfare law

By Sudhir Katiyar, Mallica Patel*  The sudden dismantling of MGNREGA once again exposes the limits of progressive legislation in the absence of transformation of a casteist, semi-feudal rural society. Over two days in the winter session, the Modi government dismantled one of the most progressive legislations of the UPA regime—the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

MGNREGA’s limits and the case for a new rural employment framework

By Dr Jayant Kumar*  Rural employment programmes have played a pivotal role in shaping India’s socio-economic landscape . Beyond providing income security to vulnerable households, they have contributed to asset creation, village development, and social stability. However, persistent challenges—such as seasonal unemployment, income volatility, administrative inefficiencies, and corruption—have limited the transformative potential of earlier schemes.