Statement by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel

Forty years ago today, on May 12, 1965, the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel established diplomatic relations.  This historic step paved the way for a development about which we Germans are very pleased and deeply grateful: the rapprochement and reconciliation between the people in Germany and Israel.

The relations between our two countries will always have a special character, shaped by the unspeakable crimes and suffering of the Shoa.

David Ben-Gurion and Konrad Adenauer began early on building bridges across the abyss of the past.  In 1973, Willy Brandt was the first German chancellor to visit Israel and decisively advanced relations.  Many people in Israel were willing, despite the pain and doubt, to become reconciled with Germany and the Germans.

Today, Germany and Israel are friends and partners.  Support for the existence of Israel within secure borders is and will remain a permanent fixture of German policy.  That is why, together with its partners in the European Union, Germany is also so vigorously committed to lasting peace in the Middle East.  We want Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and good neighborliness without fear of terror.

There is hardly another country with which Israel maintains such close relations as with Germany — in science, business, and culture.  There are numerous partnerships between educational institutions, churches, unions, cities, communities, and sport associations.  Over a half-million young people have come together through German-Israeli youth exchanges, dispelled prejudices, and established friendships.  This all shows that Germans and Israelis have truly moved closer together.

Two days ago, we dedicated the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, located at the heart of Berlin.  Preserving the memory of the victims of the Shoa and drawing lessons from history — that is an enduring responsibility for us as Germans.

Today's anniversary is at once both a mission and an obligation: to continually nurture and deepen relations between our two countries and peoples.

May 12, 2005

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