Article by Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel, "Das Parlament", 11.4.2005

"Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist". David Ben-Gurion's words are particularly apt when applied to the development of German-Israeli relations, which have now entered their fortieth year. For who would have dared hope, after the Shoah, that ultimate crime against humanity, after the infinite suffering inflicted by the Germans on the Jews of Germany and Europe, that it would be possible to establish bilateral relations or indeed develop any type of relationship between Germany and Israel?

Six million Jews – men, women and children alike – and with them a magnificent culture, one of the pillars of European civilization, fell victim to the lethal anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany – and thus the anti-Semitism of the Germans. The New Museum at Yad Vashem, the opening of which I was recently privileged to attend in Jerusalem, brings home this calamitous breakdown of civilization in a horribly tangible way. With its determined focus on the individual, Yad Vashem burns into our memories the names and lives of innumerable Jewish victims of Nazi tyranny.

It was the loved ones of these murdered individuals – often the only remaining member of a large family, orphans, whose parents and brothers and sisters had been deported and killed, mothers, whose children had been shot before their eyes, grandfathers, whose whole families had been exterminated – who finally found safety from persecution in Israel. They were Europeans. They did not leave light-heartedly.

But leave they must. Their love of Europe and its culture was not reciprocated. Far from it. It was returned with hatred and inconceivable barbarity. In profound disappointment they turned their backs on their old homeland and founded the state that was intended to realize their vision, their vision that Jews should never again be victims and should lead their lives in freedom, autonomy and security.

Against this background, emerging from the shadow of the Shoah, two great statesmen, Konrad Adenauer and David Ben-Gurion, succeeded in laying the foundation for rapprochement between Germany and Israel. The first contacts were made during the negotiations on compensation payments, which led to the conclusion of the Luxembourg Agreement in September 1952. These early days were far from easy. When Ben-Gurion decided in 1951 to accept Konrad Adenauer's overtures, he met with fierce resistance in Israel.

But David Ben-Gurion was not to be swayed. He won over a majority in the Knesset for his courageous decision. For this he deserves immense respect, thanks and recognition. This step meant that the first financial assistance from Germany could reach the survivors and enabled Germany to make a contribution to the building of the young State of Israel. Both sides were fully aware that the financial payments could be but a gesture; the dreadful injustice could not be undone, the immeasurable suffering could not be made good, and the dead could not be brought back to life.

These initial contacts were however first and foremost a great chance for our country, for Germany. They helped us start to deal with our past. The democratic Germany was thus able to prove to the world that it was ready to face its responsibility for German guilt and for the survivors of the Shoah. Our historic and moral responsibility endures to this day. We must not and shall not ever evade it. Anyone who tries will fail.

The first contacts with the State of Israel also helped set a key course in the foreign policy of the young Federal Republic, a course that we still follow today and will always follow in the future: Germany unconditionally supports Israel's right of existence. We all committed to the right of the citizens of Israel to live within secure borders and in peace with their neighbours, free from fear of terror or violence. This commitment to Israel is not attached to any reservations or conditions, is not negotiable and is the foundation on which the special relationship between our two countries is built. It is a cornerstone of German foreign policy and will remain so.

This Israel, with which we have now maintained diplomatic relations for some 40 years, is an unusual, fascinating and magnificent country. A densely populated state, in which people from many different cultural backgrounds live together on a small wedge of land, a country bursting with energy and creativity, home to a wealth of impressive achievements in science, culture and business, a highly integrated nation, from which we can learn a great deal – and yet also a country full of complexity, full of contradiction.

Our relations have thus never been confined to the political level. German-Israeli cooperation in science and technology, in particular, can be considered a success story. It has acquired an intensity that we have seldom achieved with any other country. Time and again the federal government, federal states and local councils, not to mention the German foundations and specially created bilateral institutions and programmes, have together succeeded in creating the conditions required for innovative research. In terms of business, Germany is Israel's second trading partner after the US. Our bilateral cultural relations have also acquired an extraordinary breadth and depth.

This is illustrated by the number of events – exhibitions, theatre productions, concerts, readings, dance performances – organized in both countries for this anniversary year. In order to give cultural relations between our two countries a formal basis, we are currently working on an agreement on cultural cooperation, which we hope can be signed before this special year is out. Members of the German and Israeli art and cultural scene have already established countless links. In this context we are particularly pleased that Berlin has become such an attractive city for young artists. It is especially encouraging that we have in the past weeks and months witnessed a further rush of interest in cultural exchange. Cultural relations seem to be acquiring additional momentum what with touring productions by German theatre groups, youth exchanges and tourism.

We should never take the intensity and quality of our relations for granted. Germany's image in Israel, as well as the perception of Israel in our country, remains a highly complex issue in view of our history, an issue that presents us with a constant challenge and is far from straightforward. What else do we expect? We must succeed in making young Israelis and Germans more sensitive to the special character of our bilateral relations.

We must succeed in nuturing an understanding for the enduring significance the Shoah has on relations between our two countries and on the lessons we must learn therefrom among the younger generation who have little or no personal contact with the generation of perpetrators and victims of National Socialism. Only then can the positive aspects of our relations continue to flourish. Youth exchange has thus been of special importance to our relations from the very beginning. It must be fostered and developed yet further, for understanding between the young citizens of our states is crucial for future relations.

I would however also like to emphasize that it is vital for us to remain vigilant and aware of the mood of our Jewish citizens and communities in Germany. We must not remain unmoved by their concerns about a renewed increase in anti-Semitic and xenophobic attitudes, comments and physical attacks, of unjustified and unfair criticism of Israel. Anti-Semitic attacks do not only threaten and hurt Jewish people and Jewish communities in Germany, but are also a danger to our democracy, to our open society as a whole. It is thus our duty to take firm action against anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia in all their guises, to unequivocally outlaw them and to prosecute them with the full force of the law. We take this responsibility very seriously; it is something we may never set aside.

It is because of our historic and moral responsibility towards Israel that we have been following the peace process between Israel and its neighbours so closely. After more than four years of terrorist warfare directed against Israel and a downhill spiral of violence and hatred, we are currently witnessing steps towards a new, positive start on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The goal remains the solution of the decades-old conflict by realizing the vision of two states – Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and within secure and recognized borders. Germany and Europe will continue to do what they can to help achieve a lasting peace.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Together with our Israeli friends we are celebrating with numerous events in many of the fields in which German-Israeli cooperation is strong. From the first contacts between Germany and Israel, which were initiated in the 1950s by the two great statesmen David Ben-Gurion and Konrad Adenauer, has grown a close partnership based on trust. The relations between our states are very good indeed. We are immensely grateful that Israel now considers us a reliable partner.

We would like to use this anniversary year to remember the past, but also – building on our enduring responsibility for this past – to look to the present and the future. 40 years ago, Israeli President Zalman Shazar described the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel as the dawn following the blackest of black nights. It is our joint mission to shape the new day, for ourselves and above all for future generations.

April 11, 2005

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