Members of Germany's Jewish community are speaking out against the World Jewish Congress's decision to honor Chancellor Angela Merkel with its prestigious Herzl Award.
Every year, the organization bestows the award to figures who act to promote Zionist visionary Theodor Herzl's "ideas for the creation of a safer and more tolerant world for Jews."
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Along with Merkel, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has also been selected for the award, which the two women are set to receive in separate ceremonies.
However, the announcement of WJC's plan to honor Merkel with the award has been met with piercing criticism from members of Germany's Jewish community, who note the change in Merkel's stance toward Israel in recent years, her support for the 2015 nuclear deal, and the increasing sense among the country's Jews that Berlin is not doing an adequate job of contending with the growing threat to Jews as a result of the anti-Semitic views of Arab and Muslim migrants to the country.
Among the points of contention raised by the local Jewish community: Germany's continued pattern of voting against Israel in UN and other international bodies; Berlin's continued funding for organizations that support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement; its refusal to ban Hezbollah activities in the country; and Germany's increased financial support for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, without conditioning those funds on the cessation of incitement against Israel. There also those who cite Merkel's vocal opposition to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's official capital and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Popular German Jewish publicist and author Henryk M. Broder published an article questioning the move.
"What is Merkel getting the prize for? For her representative at the UN and the Security Council abstaining from anti-Israel votes, and thereby, in effect, supporting them? For that same official equating Hamas missile attacks on Israeli citizens to Israel's demolitions of homes?"
Dr. Rafael Korenzecher, deputy chair of the Coordinating Council of German Nongovernmental Organizations Against Anti-Semitism, sarcastically remarked that the decision to give Merkel the award was "justified."
"To her credit and the credit of the people around her," he said, "it should be said they are contributing to German Jews making aliyah to Israel. Chances are that thanks to current policy, Germany will be Judenrein [free of Jews]."
