"History has given us a stroke of good fortune that after the crimes against humanity of the Holocaust it has been possible to reset and reestablish the relations between Germany and Israel to the extent that we have done," Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel said during her farewell visit to the Jewish state, adding that "it would be a mistake to base the relationship solely on the memory of the Holocaust."
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Merkel did feel that Germany had a historical obligation to the Jewish people due to the Holocaust. Her approach to the matter prompted her to take a relatively sympathetic stance towards Israel in the European arena.
Moreover, Merkel's commitment to the memory of the Holocaust, and its effect on German policy, as a result, are not self-evident. In modern-day Germany, both in left- and right-wing circles, the consensus over the special treatment of Israel due to the Holocaust no longer exists.
Many have long sought to leave the past behind, and therefore, the historical memory has eroded increasingly in recent years. But what is even more worrisome is that even Israel has completely ceased to demand a special approach by Germany toward the Jewish state.
As such, we can say that Merkel's request has already been granted, despite any reason and logic. The State of Israel was too quick to normalize ties with Germany.
Israeli discourse makes it seem that Poland was more responsible for the genocide of the Jews than Germany – just listen to thinly-veiled statements of Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Strangely, Germany is portrayed as a pleasant tourist destination, while Poland is the country of death camps. Moreover, with the amount of money that Berlin pours into anti-Israel BDS organizations one can often hear the claim that Israelis are the new Nazis.
The message that this sends is that back then, Germans were the murderers, whereas now, the tables might have turned. What this does is exempt the German people from the responsibility for one of history's most horrific atrocities.
Even with regard to the Holocaust, the facts do not matter at all. Both Lapid and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett went out of their way on Sunday to praise Merkel for her Holocaust remembrance-related activities. They dared not mention that alongside this historical responsibility they also expected, for example, for Germany to stand by Israel in the struggle against Iran.
Israel's former leaders have failed to do this as well. We forgave Germany and put the past behind us too quickly and too easily and now have a relationship with Berlin as if nothing had ever happened.
"The Holocaust is always at the back of our minds," every Israeli diplomat who has even served in Germany has told me. But in reality, it is very difficult to find people like Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, for example, who never buys products from Germany. What is even more absurd, is that the Israeli government decided many years ago that its leaders would travel in German cars to symbolize the renewed relationship between the two nations. Can anyone give a logical explanation for such a humiliating move?
Unfortunately, relations between Jerusalem and Berlin are no longer based on the memory of the Holocaust.
Had we remembered history we never would have renewed ties with Germany and would have done our utmost to condemn it among the nations. Instead, we would light six million candles in memory of the families that were tortured, murdered, and gassed. The blood of our brethren cries out to us from all over Europe.
The Germans – and not just Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler – have defiled the continent forever. It is on this hellish memory that we must base our relationship with Germany. Perhaps in six million years, there will be space for something other than sane decisions.
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