Press Releases

May 8, 2008

“Mazal tov, le Issrael”: German Federal President Köhler Issues Greeting to Israel on 60th Anniversary

I wholeheartedly congratulate the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary. Sixty years of Israel – that is a special occasion for joy also for us as Germans. During this jubilee year, the first German-Israeli intergovernmental consultations took place in Israel, and I am pleased that President Shimon Peres will be my guest in September during a state visit to Germany. Everywhere in Germany, people are celebrating Israel's anniversary with a wide array of events, all of which are an expression of our close bond.

Today, Germany and Israel enjoy a partnership based on trust. In light of the unparalleled crime of the Shoah, the murder of millions of Jews committed by Germans, that by no means can be taken for granted. Germany and Israel, Germans and Jews, are bound by both the memory of the Shoah and their shared commitment to a world in which such a crime must never happen again.

We accept this responsibility for the past and for the future. This means that the citizens, politicians and leaders of society must raise their voices against denial or trivialization of the Shoah and against intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism. It means we must not look away; rather, we must see and act. And it means we preserve and pass on the memory so that future generations also will remain vigilant.

The right of the State of Israel to exist is and will remain a constituent element of German policy. Germany supports the right of Israel's citizens to live in peace and security. To achieve this goal, there must be an end to the violence in the Middle East. We therefore vigorously support all efforts towards a just and lasting settlement of the Middle East conflict. The path to peace leads to a two-
state solution, with an Israel whose security and existence are guaranteed and with a sustainable Palestinian state within recognized borders and good neighborly relations with Israel.

Only those who take responsibility for the past can gain trust for the future. I am very grateful that Jewish life, the creativity and vitality of which for a millennium has been a major part of German culture, is flourishing in Germany again. In the awareness of our responsibility, we want to further deepen our good and trustful relations with Israel on the basis of our shared values.

The future will depend on increasingly attracting young people in Germany and Israel to actively continue and expand our partnership. Youth exchange is of central importance in this effort, for today's younger generation will help shape the partnership between our countries of tomorrow. During this jubilee year, President Peres and I will launch the German-Israeli Future Forum, which will bring young Germans and Israelis in business, science and culture even closer together. In this way we would like, together, to sustain and further strengthen the basis of our close relations in the future.

My warm congratulations, Israel! Mazal tov, le Issrael!

(sgd) Horst Köhler

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