A Critical Perspective on Habermas’s Approach to the Gaza Massacre and the Question of Pa-lestine

Abstract

Following the world wars, humanity entered a period of profound existential crisis. Fundamental values that once rendered life and its meaning intelligible began to lose their significance. In an attempt to overcome this crisis or to re-establish the lost sense of meaning, existential philosophy emerged as a response. One of the principal functions of philosophy—particularly moral and political philosophy—is to underscore the sanctity of human life and to seek the possibility of a moral and livable world for all human beings. Indeed, movements such as the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the emergence and global acceptance of human rights are all manifestations of this philosophical orientation.However, when the subject pertains to regions outside the Western world, even philosophy—which is assumed to be the most 'universal' of disciplines—either remains local in its impact or, regrettably, falls under the sway of particular powers, thereby failing to fulfill its essential vocation. Of course, this failure is not inherent in philosophy itself but lies with the philosophers who enact it. In this context, the pro-Israeli statements and the declaration signed by Jürgen Habermas regarding the question of Palestine and the Gaza massacre have elicited significant reactions both within philosophical circles and across global public opinion. This paper aims to offer a critical examination of such attitudes, focusing broadly on Western intellectuals and specifically on the renowned philosopher Habermas.