»The suffering of the Palestinian people cannot justify Hamas' horrific attacks. These horrific attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres was harshly criticized for his testimony before the UN Security Council by the Israeli Foreign Minister who was present, who hurled at him, almost roaring, that the world must show solidarity with Israel. Although Guterres has just tried to take a balanced position that takes note of both aspects of reality – as Bernhard Zand writes in a recent SPIEGEL report.
Why is the global dispute ignited by the newly ignited Middle East conflict? Why did only people in Europe demonstrate after Russia's invasion of Ukraine – and why are thousands around the world now showing solidarity with Palestine or Israel? In Africa, in South America, in Asia?
"The conflict over Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a conflict that was diplomatically depicted, that took place between governments," says Bernhard Zand in the podcast. "It's the intensity of the confrontation that's greater. It's a more complex geographical, political process."
What does this mean for the impact of this conflict? And how great is the danger that the warlike fire of a local trouble spot will also ignite its surroundings?
Bernhard Zand, SPIEGEL's long-time correspondent in the Middle East, China and the USA, talks about this in this episode of Eight Billion.
You can listen to this podcast episode here:
The international podcast "Eight Billion" is published every Friday on SPIEGEL.de and wherever podcasts are available. Do you have any suggestions, criticism, suggestions for topics or even praise for this show? Then send us an e-mail to the address acht.milliarden@spiegel.de .