“The Last Sky”: Alena Jabarine Reads at the University of Siegen

23.10.2026

About 200 people attended the reading and discussion on the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank

Siegen, October 21, 2026 – The reading by Hamburg-based journalist Alena Jabarine at the University of Siegen was received with great interest yesterday evening. About 200 guests came to hear the author of the *Spiegel* bestseller *Der letzte Himmel* and to discuss the book with her. The evening was moderated by Siegen professors Mohamed Barakat (mathematics) and Friedemann Vogel (discourse linguistics).

A Plea for a Common Standard

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Friedemann Vogel recalled the principle enshrined in the German Basic Law that human dignity is inviolable—and that this principle, just like international law, applies equally to all people and nations. “That was precisely the essential lesson learned after World War II: not selective morality, but a common, binding—and thus unifying—law,” said Vogel.

The public debate in Germany has so far done little to live up to this standard. It is highly polarized and characterized by “friend-or-foe” dichotomies; anyone who seeks to understand different perspectives and evaluate them against a legally binding standard quickly comes under suspicion. With this event, the organizers therefore sought to contribute to a democratic discourse on the lives of Palestinians in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.

Daily Life Between Checkpoints and Nighttime Raids

Alena Jabarine is of German-Palestinian descent; she studied political science in Hamburg and Barcelona and worked as a freelance journalist, primarily for public broadcasting programs. In January 2020, she moved to the occupied West Bank for three years, where she worked for a German foundation. She wrote her book about this period.

Jabarine read various excerpts from the book, including a scene in which she witnesses a nighttime house raid by the Israeli military, which she describes as arbitrary and unlawful. The book describes numerous situations in which Palestinians face severe restrictions in their daily lives or are subjected to the arbitrariness of authorities, soldiers, and settlers: the insecurity at checkpoints, settler violence against children on their way to school in Masafer Yatta, land and home seizures by settlers with army support, unannounced searches at any time of day or night, months-long detentions without legal basis, and the designation of residential areas as “military closed zones.”

Much of this is part of everyday life for these people, against which they are effectively powerless to defend themselves, Jabarine reported. Their self-determined lives are restricted not only by the Israeli military but also by violence perpetrated by the Palestinian Authority, which lacks democratic legitimacy.

The Situation Has Worsened Further

According to Jabarine’s assessment, the situation in Gaza and the West Bank has worsened further in recent months. Massive settler violence is now openly directed not only against Palestinians, but also against Israelis who show solidarity and even against embassy staff from other countries—without any consequences for the perpetrators.

Jabarine described the call for a two-state solution—which is favored in Germany—as too simplistic: It sounds like a good compromise, but under current conditions it has long been unrealistic. Experts are also discussing the one-state concept, in which all people—regardless of religion or ethnicity—would be equal citizens of a single state.

She expressed criticism of German arms deliveries to a government that faces charges of genocide before the International Court of Justice. She emphasized the importance of reminding political decision-makers in Germany of their obligation to uphold the constitution and international law.

Constructive Discussion

The audience followed the reading very attentively. In the discussion that followed, many guests took the opportunity to ask the author questions; the conversation was constructive and objective. The organizers gave an all-around positive assessment of a successful evening.