„Against the war – against the social war“

Ukraine

In favour of a ceasefire now!

In the shadow of the war in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine is escalating.
In mid-January, Chancellor Scholz urges the allies in the European Union to step up their support for Ukraine this year. The German government is ready to take a leading role. At 17.1 billion euros, Germany has provided the most military aid within the EU to Ukraine since the start of the war on 24 February 2022 up to and inclu- ding October 2023. The pressure on Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz regarding the Taurus deliveries to Ukraine is increasing.

In December 2023, it was Scholz who was instrumental in pushing through the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine. This step is also part of the policy of escalating the war.
The USA concluded military agreements with Denmark, Sweden and Finland for the establishment of new US bases in these countries.

As part of the NATO manoeuvre Steadfast Defender 2024, the largest NATO military exercise in 30 years, Ger- many is to assume command responsibility from February to May 2024 in Germany, Poland… and the Baltic countries. The Bundeswehr will provide a large part of the armed forces and will serve as a huge hub for the required deployment of national and international forces. As Germany’s contribution, the Scholz government is planning the Quadriga 2024 Bundeswehr manoeuvre with more than 12,000 soldiers. „This is a practical conse- quence of the turnaround,“ reads a Bundeswehr flyer.
Olaf Scholz’s government is doubling military aid to eight billion euros in 2024. With the planned 85.5 billion euros in military spending for 2024, the German government will become the biggest military spender in Europe, ahead of Russia.

• Immediate ceasefire!
• Stop the arms deliveries!
• No to armament and war budgets!
• Lift the sanctions!

Palestine

„The genocide must end! Immediate ceasefire!“

23,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the Israeli offensive. Palestinians are being bombed, shot and ordered to relocate. The war has displaced around 85% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million. Martin Griffiths, head of the UN emergency relief organisation Ocha, has described the Gaza Strip as „uninhabitable“. Gaza has become a place of death and despair. There is a threat of famine. „The last twelve weeks have been traumatic, especially for children,“ said Griffiths. „No food. No water. No school. Nothing but the terrible sounds of war, day after day.“ (early January 2024)

Representatives of the Israeli government, such as Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, are calling for the expulsion of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and the Israeli colonisation of Gaza.

Parliamentarians for Ceasefire

In favour of an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza

We welcome the initiative of Sevim Dagdelen (BSW party, MP, Germany) and Ilhan Omar (Democratic Party, mem- ber of the US House of Representatives), which is supported by more than 500 MPs from 28 countries. „In Germany, SPD politicians Ralf Stegner and Nina Scheer also signed the petition, while internationally, alongside the well-known US Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MPs from France and many other EU states as well as other countries from Canada to Ghana, from Chile and Brazil to Turkey also signed. It is a strong signal for peace and an end to the violence that so many representatives of the people are now in favour of a ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian catastrophe. …“ (Sevin Dagdelen) Over 40 trade unions in the USA, including the International Automobile Workers‘ Union (UAW) with 600,000 mem- bers, are calling: „It is the turn of the labour movement to raise its voice and demand a ceasefire.“

We support the initiative of trade unionists who wrote in an open letter to the DGB and the individual DGB trade unions „After three months of murderous bombing of the Palestinian population (…) we see it as our responsibility as German trade unionists to turn to our trade unions, the DGB and its individual trade unions to actively and immediately support these demands“.

• Immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops!
• Immediate ceasefire!
• Immediate end to the bombings!
• Immediate lifting of the blockade of Gaza!

„Armament and war are incompatible with the welfare state“

An end to the rearmament budget and arms deliveries to Ukraine, Israel and for the war in the Middle East. The costs of the war are being paid by the working population and young people with a policy of cutbacks in hospitals, schools and local authorities…, with falling real wages and rising prices for food and rents.

No to the hundreds of billions for the war budget! Hundreds of billions for more staff for hospitals, schools, day-care centres… and inflation-proof collective wages! No more outsourcing and wage dumping! No more destruction of far- mers‘ livelihoods!

---

European Liaison Committee „Against the war – against the social war“

24 February 2024: Day of action throughout Europe

Against the war – against the social war! Immediate ceasefire!

Hundreds of thousands have demonstrated in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and Gaza!
The European Liaison Committee has proposed to call for a European day of action on 24 February, the 2nd an- niversary of the start of the war in Ukraine.

Actions, rallies and events are being prepared in several European countries. In Germany, demonstrations, rallies, actions and events will take place in Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt/Main, for example.

Let’s send a common European signal!

Contact: GotthardKrupp@t-online.de