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Last update - 10:33 14/12/2007 Woman of the year By Yossi Sarid Tags: Merkel This week is Human Rights Week, and two weeks from now the civil calendar year ends. Before the "People of the Year" parade begins, with congratulations all around, let's be the first to declare our choice. My man of the year is a woman: German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Yes, Merkel, the leader of a center-right party, was revealed in 2007 in all her stature as the high priestess of human rights everywhere. Her partners - her rivals from the Social Democratic Party - have been exposed in their dwarfishness and turpitude as having closed their eyes to injustice and villainy. As a social democrat, I am ashamed of their petty calculations. Like every country, Germany has economic interests in its relations with other countries, especially with Russia and China; the former as a key provider of oil and gas and the latter as a huge and alluring market. Nevertheless, these interests do not blind the chancellor; she sees very well what is happening in Russia, how an elected president has become a czar. And she sees what is happening in China, how economic growth does not affect democracy's growth at all. Advertisement Merkel does not remain silent in a selective way because she is not U.S. President George W. Bush; nor is she Gerhard Schroeder, whom she succeeded and who has become Russian President Vladimir Putin's lackey. Nor is she President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who speak or keep silent in accordance with the convenience of the moment. When she visited Russia recently, Merkel also met with non-governmental organizations, independent journalists and opponents of the regime, to her hosts' displeasure. In September she hosted the Dalai Lama in her office despite threats and protests from Beijing and warnings from her deputy, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a Social Democrat. Who would have believed that the head of a country as important as Germany would tell the Russians and Chinese, in a loud, clear voice, what she thinks of them, and would say in the Bundestag, without fear or calculation, that "a government's foreign and defense policy must be based on values and not interests?" She also said that "it is impossible to demand good behavior at home and not behave well when you go out. Economic considerations must not contradict values of democracy, liberty and human rights." And wonder of wonders: Although Merkel is taking a risk and her moral position is liable to cost her country dearly, her popularity is rising and her rivals' is dropping. She has the support of 70 percent of the German public. This is because in Germany, and not only in America and Israel, the people get fed up with politicians' double standards, with the unction that fuels the flames. When will our leaders understand that a more moral policy is a more correct policy that is its own reward, even if it is slow in coming? It is possible and necessary to acknowledge the Armenian genocide without the fear of Turkey becoming an issue. It is possible and necessary to receive the Dalai Lama as an official guest without being deterred by China's reprimands. It is wrong to sell weapons to evil countries that slaughter their citizens, Burma included. There is no need to fawn over Putin, who continues to fawn over Iran and refuses to tighten the sanctions on it, and it is absolutely wrong to legitimize torture and commit war crimes on the grounds of self-defense. Merkel is the opposite of another woman, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a mechanized candidate who lives by the opinion polls, which already predict a pullback by her. It is possible that the Americans also expect a president like Merkel, who is not the continuation of Bush with different lyrics. Is the ground being broken here too for a leader who understands the special, obligatory mission of "the Jewish state?" And if it is uncomfortable to take an example from the Germans, we can take it from the Americans, if Senator Barack Obama is elected. Maybe a black president who appears to be a man of values and not just of realpolitik will infuse the world with a different spirit, a better spirit. Perhaps a president who looks like an Ethiopian is the person who will create an opening for hope for the children of the global kindergarten. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Bush go home' Israeli Arab parties join leftist protests against the Bush visit. Peace overture Syria says it isn't seeking a military solution with Israel.   1.   Merkel speaks out against anyone "not behaving so well"....... 10:54  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/12/07   2.   Kudos to Yossi... 10:58  |  Esther 14/12/07   3.   Frau Merkel 11:15  |  Dav 14/12/07   4.   Rav Ovadia and Bibi as well!! 11:22  |  Dr Eric 14/12/07   5.   she´s as cold as ice 11:48  |  Olli 14/12/07   6.   dream on sarid nothings changes even when everything changes! 11:55  |  victor hardman 14/12/07   7.   P. 1 There were modern Canadian Politician even more honest and 12:43  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 14/12/07   8.   Sarid.... charity starts at home 13:38  |  The Arab Hammer 14/12/07   9.   Yossi disapponts 13:43  |  Merle 14/12/07   10.   actually she is very selective 14:03  |  cool 14/12/07   11.   puzzle from the great leader Yossi Sarid 14:06  |  Leon Rosgarten 14/12/07   12.   Y. Bellin 14:08  |  Hilda 14/12/07   13.   Re Eric #4 15:11  |  Esther 14/12/07   14.   Hillary As President? 15:50  |  Jeff Northridge 14/12/07   15.   as long as it`s not anti-Israel! 16:43  |  Erik 14/12/07   16.   # 14 Jeff Northridge...as a Dem I swear 17:07  |  Lynn 14/12/07   17.   Excellent article Yossi Sarid, Kudos and congrats. 17:27  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/12/07   18.   Good old Angela Merkel. 17:50  |  Stephen. 14/12/07   19.   #11 leon wonderful satirical piece you are not serious laughingly 17:51  |  victor hardman 14/12/07   20.   Merkel and Germany and Turkey 17:59  |  Ethel 14/12/07   21.   Who is going to stop Islamic states? 18:33  |  Ethel 14/12/07   22.   merkel v candidate clinton 18:42  |  shmuel 14/12/07   23.   Merkel 18:56  |  Roberto 14/12/07   24.   "Woman of the year" 18:59  |  Reiner Bernstein 14/12/07   25.   TO # 8 ARAB HAMMER 19:09  |  The Teacher/Instruct 14/12/07   26.   Sarid - Now, He is an Expert On U.S. Politics ? 19:24  |  Tod Zuckerman 14/12/07   27.   Germany or USA, #1 friend of Israel? 19:44  |  Ethel 14/12/07   28.   HIllary, real Woman of the Year? 20:27  |  Ethel 14/12/07   29.   Merkel is great 21:19  |  Danite 14/12/07   30.   Yossi Sarid Should Be President of Israel 21:52  |  Brian Freund 14/12/07   31.   From Zukerman without the "c" 22:59  |  D.R. Zukerman 14/12/07   32.   24 Reiner Bernstein 23:32  |  Alex 14/12/07   33.   24 Reiner Bernstein 23:35  |  Alex 14/12/07   34.   Mrs. Merkel, is she really in power? 00:12  |  Karl 15/12/07   35.   Ethel (21), seeing the same. Neither Frau Merkel nor... 00:34  |  Karl 15/12/07   36.   #1 - "US", Dino? How could this concern you? 01:26  |  Steve 15/12/07   37.   #8 Whine, moan, cry us a river... 01:31  |  Steve 15/12/07   38.   To Zukerman ( #29) 01:33  |  Tod Zuckerman 15/12/07   39.   #27 Ethel 04:55  |  Alex2 15/12/07   40.   #1 swiss "I speak for the world" dino - is your memory slipping? 05:26  |  CK Tan 15/12/07   41.   Merkel 07:52  |  Guido 15/12/07   42.   # 36 Steve 08:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/12/07   43.   # 40 CK Tan 08:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/12/07   44.   # 40 By the way, CK Tan, one thing is as certain....... 09:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/12/07   45.   Differenz between Germany & USA 10:43  |  Ari 15/12/07   46.   I DON`T SHE BECOME A PERSON OF THE YEAR 11:02  |  indrajaya 15/12/07   47.   woman of the year 21:28  |  roberto 10/01/08

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