The City of Darmstadt reacted with horror and disgust to the war unleashed by the radical Islamic terrorist militia Hamas against the citizens of Israel. "We are filled with grief and concern - grief for the many hundreds of people who have already fallen victim to the barbaric acts of violence, concern for those who have been abducted and are now being held hostage and tortured by Hamas. All the sympathy of the people of Darmstadt goes out to those affected and their families," said Mayor Hanno Benz, who today, Monday, wrote to Ronen Marelly, the mayor of Nahariya, assuring Darmstadt's partners of his heartfelt solidarity.
On 31 May of this year, the municipal council of Darmstadt, the city of science, had decided on an official town twinning with the Israeli city, with which Darmstadt has maintained close friendly relations for decades.
"The extent of the violence, the hatred, the brutality and the inhuman attitude revealed in it - this has shocked us and it still leaves us stunned," said OB Benz. "The people of Israel, and especially in our twin city in Nahariya, know we are by their side. We condemn this criminal attack, we demand an immediate stop to the terrorist acts, and - this must also be said clearly - we condemn just as strongly that expressions of sympathy or even joy are being made in Germany about the criminal actions of Hamas. This cannot and must not be.
Klaus Honold - Press Spokesman of the City of Darmstadt
