Posted on 01/24/2005 10:25:28 AM PST by anotherview
Jan. 24, 2005 19:31
Germany's Fischer reaffirms commitment to Israel
By JPOST.COM STAFF
At the special session of the UN to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer began by saying, "The Shoah is the ultimate crime against humanity of the Twentieth Century."
He said, "Democratic Germany has learned its lessons the Holocaust has left an indelible mark."
Explaining one aspect of this indelible mark, Fischer reiterated Germany's commitment to the State of Israel.
"The State of Israel's right to exist and its people to security will always remain nonnegotiable fixtures of German foreign policy," he declared.
He continued saying, "Our past makes it our duty to combat all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia . We must not turn a blind eye while synagogues are vandalized."
He also stressed the importance of passing on the stories of the survivors to future generations.
"We who can listen to the survivors bear a responsibility to recount their story to future generations," Fischer said.
...except if the survival of Israel should inconvenience Germany in any way.
Pretty much my thoughts. Germany usually sides with the Palestinians, don't they?
Open challenge... name the last thing Germany did to support Israel in its struggle for survival.
We will never forget and never forgive you for the Holocaust, Germany.
However, its ironic and good to know that in an era in which most of Europe is clearly anti Israel and Jewish(France, Belgium, Sweden, etc.), a country like Germany is not (or at least their governments' policy is not).
Germany is also the closest defense ally of Israel in Europe.
I agree, thought Germany is better than France or Belgium thats for sure.
In the same sense as a gang member who just watches a person getting murdered is better than the gang members who do the actual murder, yeah.
Gee that was awfully nice of them.
What have you smoked recently?
Germany is the closest European ally, and there is no doubt that the existance right of a Jewish state of Israel will always be supported. thoughtomator, I think you are ill informed. The last thing Germany did to support Israel was the delivery of two Patriot Air Defense Systems in early 2003.
That Germany supports a Palestinian state, just like President Bush does, is not a contradiction. It is clear that a Pali-state may not evolve against Israel.
Furthermore, Germany gave Israel 2 Dolphin subs- considered amoung the top 3 subs in the world- in 50% less cost as a favor for israel. Those subs are capable of delivering nuclear warheards and now they are probably in the Gulf near Iran.
I think you need to ask yourself what you're smoking. Closest European ally? Are you kidding? Closer than Italy, Poland, Denmark... even if you're not counting the UK in "Europe"? Up to their necks and then some in Oil-for-Food at the cost of American lives? The German record of perfidy against Israel stretches back at least to 1972. If two missile batteries constitute the best Germany can come up with to demonstrate its support for Israel, that support must be thin indeed.
I think you've heard France referred to as an ally so many times that you've forgotten the meaning of the word.
It's too bad it's big news when someone in the UN is praising israel instead of attacking it.
Oh well. I guess you have to take what you can get. :)
Exactly. The German President will soon speak in the Knesset - in German, just like his precedessor. It´s good to see our relations being good and normal.
Ok, gimme stats: what has the UK, Poland, Denmark or Italy done for Israel? I think you have heard so often the word Iraq that you seem to forget that there are other countries around, have you? You asked for the LATEST what Germany has done, not for a complete list. I think even this is more than the UK or Italy with a comparable size of Germany have done.
Oh, and by the way show me some evidence that Germans were involved in the oil-for-food scandal. It isn´t the case. Maybe you confuse France and Russia with Germany?
Sorry, dude, but you seem to be led by wishful thinking rather than by an analysis of facts.
Well, in Germany and the US it won´t be big news, but I agree, it´s a terrible situation for Israel that Fischers words are noteworthy. They´re in troubled right now maybe more than ever since the 6-days-war, so it´s quite understandable.
As far as Oil-for-Food goes, the statement of the German Foreign Minister in November 2001 on the continuance of that program, combined with the fact that over 80 German companies were involved in the scandal, combined with the German solidarity on ALL related issues with France, the main profiteer outside of Hussein himself, I'd say that plausible deniability is out the window.
Do I really need to go over the endless cavorting of German officials with Yasser Arafat? The hundreds of millions they pour into the PA, while taking zero steps to assure that it doesn't go to fund terrorism? The failure to act at all when it was publicly revealed that yes, in fact, German money was used by the PA to kill Israelis? The subsequent condemnation of the anti-terror wall, the most effective anti-terrorist initiative Israel has conducted since 1973? All their efforts to prevent us from taking out a mortal threat to Israel, Iraq - and the redux we are watching with Iran?
And all this while it was helping both Iraq and Iran to build their nuclear programs.
Germany giving Israel PAC-3s in order to honor its commitment to the United States is not in any way a measure of support for Israel. It was the bare minimum it could do to keep NATO, its protector, from becoming immediately defunct.
I searched, and I still can't find anything substantive Germany has done in support of Israel. Again, I invite you to give an example, something with substance behind it, this time.
You show me that you know nothing at all!
1. This thread is not about the US! It is about Israel and Germany, and I - as well as IAF ThunderPilot - said that Germany is the closest ally of Israel in Europe.
2. You confuse the oil-for-food-scandal with legal deals between German companies and Saddam until 1991. Since 1991 there were few companies illegally dealing with Iraq, and those businessmen were prosecuted for this. ´Nough said.
3. Don´t confuse the German government with the EU. The financial aid for the PA came from Brussels and as far as it wasn´t directed to lower the suffering in the Palestinian refugee camps but increasing Arafats personal wealth it is ashaming.
4. Ehm, Iraq was certainly not a threat to Israel in 2003, from what we know now.
5. Bring evidence that Germany helps/helped Iran and Iraq in its nuclear program.
6. The Patriots are a symbol of our friendship and not given on demand of the US but of Israel. Btw, you´ll find other proof of German-Israeli friendship on this thread.
I am unwilling to talk anymore with you, since you have no knowledge of facts relating Germany. You are claiming false allegations but haven´t shown up with evidence. It is on you to prove your allegations. I also don´t know why you - with your lack of information - judge the relations between Germany and Israel. Germans and Israelis should know better, shouldn´t they?
http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2618260
Regarding the oil for food scandal
Obviously we live on two different planets. I spent a half-hour researching to nail down the precise details so that I could relay them to you, and everything you say contradicts the myriad of sources available. The idea that Germany can't be held responsible for funding anti-Israeli terror through institutions that are largely controlled by Germany, for example, is laughable; it's like saying Russia during the Cold War was not responsible for the actions of the USSR.
I think the only matter on which we will agree with respect to this subject is that we will not agree.
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