It was nice of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to choose Israel as the first country outside Europe he would visit since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
That choice undoubtedly reflects the intrepid friendship between Germany and Israel, which allows for great openness, and is something that Israel has not taken advantage of. Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared that Israel's existence and security are a top national priority for Germany. Because of this, there are a few issues that Germany can promote during its rotating presidency of the European Commission and the United Nations Security Council.
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First, Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency, not the US administration or Israel, said in its latest report, published Friday, that Iran is committing serious violations of the 2015 nuclear deal. Germany, along with other European countries, has set up a mechanism that is designed to allow Iran to skirt US sanctions that are intended to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Germany should stop closing its eyes to Iranian arrogance and join the American policy of sanctions, along with the rest of the EU.
Next, Israeli sovereignty. Germany's opposition to Israel declaring sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and settlements in Judea and Samaria is based on invented international law, which Germany and the EU have worked hard to create – both to Israel's disadvantage and to the benefit of the Palestinians and the Arabs. This international law contradicts existing international law that is based on the Balfour Declaration, the San Remo Conference, and the British Mandate, which give Israel absolute sovereignty over the area in question. The problem is that these are international commitments forced upon Germany after it lost World War I. It's time for Germany to recognize their validity and stop trying to replace them.
An EU representative based in Ramallah, who happens to be German, recently reversed a policy that would make European aid to Palestinian civil society groups conditional upon their non-involvement in terrorist activity. By doing so, he caved to pressure from the Palestinians and gave legitimacy to terrorism. Germany should set an unequivocal policy on the matter and cancel any European support for any form of terrorism, from the Palestinians or anyone else. There is no reason why the Palestinians should enjoy special treatment.
Today, Germany is the main funder of the UN Relief and Works Agency, whose very existence is a call to eradicate the Jewish state. If Germany is truly committed to Israel's existence, it should lead a movement in Europe and the UN to dismantle UNRWA and turn it into an aid agency with a mandate to help the descendants of Palestinian refugees and the Arabs who fled Israel settle into new homes where they currently live.
Yes, Germany has made a number of important strides this past year: the Bundestag's decision to define BDS as an anti-Semitic movement and issue a call not to fund any BDS-related activity; enacting a total ban on Hezbollah activity; and a ban on burning Israeli flags are a few examples. It's doubtful these decisions would have passed without pressure from the US Ambassador to Berlin, Richard Grenell. Now that Grenell has decided to end his term as ambassador early, we can only hope that Israel will be able to stand up for itself just as effectively.
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