We all are Augsburg.

Dear people of Augsburg,

The cruel terrorist attack by Hamas has left us all stunned. It has brought unimaginable suffering to Israel and the Middle East. The city of Augsburg and I personally stand firmly on Israel's side.

In addition to the terrible images that reach us every day from the war zone, I am particularly concerned about our peaceful coexistence here in Augsburg. I know that the conflict concerns many citizens of our city. In our tradition as a city of peace, peaceful coexistence here in Augsburg is our greatest asset. We must treat each other with humanity, empathy and respect. It must go without saying that we do not spread hostile slogans, that we take a stand for the fundamental thing that defines and unites us all: our human rights. And it must go without saying that we respect each other in our grief for the many dead and countless injured. I can feel many emotions in our city at the moment. Anger, fear, sadness, horror and also helplessness. What I am against is relativizing or even glorifying terror and violence. Anyone who does this cannot claim freedom of expression. Your own freedom ends where the dignity and integrity of others are affected.

That is why I appeal to all of us: let us preserve the peaceful coexistence that we live together in our city every day, especially now.

I would like to thank you in advance for your personal support for peace in our city.

Eva Weber
Lord Mayor of the City of Augsburg

Augsburg is a diverse and dynamic city. Together with the administration, numerous clubs, initiatives, associations, churches, religious communities, project groups and privately committed individuals are helping to shape Augsburg as a vibrant and active city of peace.

Currently, the effects of geopolitical conflicts are also increasingly being felt in Augsburg and are reflected in the form of anti-Semitism, hostility towards Muslims and other forms of group-based misanthropy. These geopolitical conflicts will not be resolved in Augsburg. This makes it all the more important to preserve the peaceful coexistence that we live in Augsburg on a daily basis.

To achieve this, we must treat each other with humanity, empathy and respect and raise awareness of mutual respect, tolerance and solidarity. In our tradition as a city of peace, peaceful coexistence here in Augsburg is the greatest good.

It must go without saying that we do not spread hostile slogans, that we take a stand for the fundamental thing that defines and unites us all: our human rights. This is what we are committed to as a city government. Anti-Semitism, hostility towards Muslims and all forms of discrimination, racism and group-based misanthropy have no place in Augsburg.

Because: We are all Augsburg.

That is our commitment to peaceful coexistence. Peace is only possible together. #sharing peace

Since 7 October 2023, the terrorist Islamist anti-Semitic Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups have attacked Israeli border towns, fired thousands of rockets into Israel and kidnapped and murdered Israeli civilians and soldiers.

The city council groups CSU, Alliance 90/The Greens, SPD/The Left - the social group and the parliamentary group Bürgerliche Mitte Freie Wähler, FDP, Pro Augsburg, WSA and the city councillors of Generation Aux, Die Partei, ÖDP and the non-party city councillor Margarete Heinrich of Friedensstadt Augsburg declare their unreserved solidarity with all people in Israel.

We are deeply shocked by the cruelty and brutality of the terrorist attacks on innocent people, families with children, men and women of all ages. Nothing can justify this violence.

We are in deep mourning for all the victims and our thoughts are with their families and loved ones. We would like to assure all Augsburg residents who are currently worried about their relatives or friends in Israel of our solidarity and support.

We firmly and resolutely oppose any form of justification or even support for this inhuman terror. Our thoughts are also with all the victims of the bestial terrorist attack by Hamas, who have accepted that the Palestinian population will also suffer as a result.

Israel's right to exist is non-negotiable. We support Israel's right to self-defence under international law within the limits of the United Nations Charter. We appeal to all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law.