Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., March 23, 2008 Adar2 17, 5768 | | Israel Time: 15:44 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
President Shimon Peres and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (AP)
Last update - 05:48 19/03/2008
Merkel to Knesset: Germany will always stand by Israel
By Shahar Ilan and Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Angela Merkel 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel earned a standing ovation at the Knesset on Tuesday after pledging to stand by Israel's side against any threat, particularly from Iran, and paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

"Especially in this place, I emphasize: Every German government and every chancellor before me was committed to the special responsibility Germany has for Israel's security," she said.

"This historic responsibility is part of my country's fundamental policy. It means that for me, as a German chancellor, Israel's security is non-negotiable," she added.
Advertisement
The German chancellor took a strong stance against the ongoing Qassam rocket fire at Israeli communities bordering the Gaza Strip.

"I say it in a clear voice - the Qassam fire must stop," Merkel said. "Terror attacks are a crime, and do not resolve political disputes."

The chancellor also singled out the Iranian nuclear threat. "It is not up to the world to prove that Iran is pursuing a nuclear bomb, but rather up to Iran to that it is not," said Merkel. "If Iran does not accept this, Germany will push for further sanctions."

"If Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, it would have disastrous consequences," she said. "We have to prevent this."

Merkel's visit was emotionally charged due to the memory of the Holocaust, and in her Knesset address the chancellor said the murder of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis continues to be a source of shame for Germans.

"The mass murder of six million Jews, carried out in the name of Germany, has brought indescribable suffering to the Jewish people, Europe and the entire world," she said.

"The Shoah fills us Germans with shame. I bow before the victims. I bow before the survivors and before all those who helped them survive," she said, using the Hebrew word for Holocaust.

Several MKs boycotted the session, in protest of the decision to allow Merkel to address the Knesset in German. At the outset of her speech, however, Merkel thanked the Knesset in Hebrew for the opportunity to speak.

In his address, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hailed the strong ties between Israel and Germany.

"The special relationship between Israel and Germany is a prime example of humanity's ability to overcome," Olmert said.

Olmert also thanked Merkel for her strong stance on Iran's nuclear program, urging other countries to follow Berlin's example.

Merkel started her planned Knesset visit Tuesday at an opening lunch hosted by Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik in the Chagall Hall of the Knesset, where she vowed Germany would do its best to bring back two Israel Defense Forces soldiers abducted by Hezbollah.

"We want to help Israel solve its difficult problems," Merkel said in an opening speech, "we will do our best to help bring [IDF] captives home and we'll do our best to contribute to the peace process."

Merkel also spoke about the cooperation between Israel and Germany, her visit on Monday to Yad Vashem, and the joint meeting between the two governments.

She maintained that the opportunity to speak in front of the MKs in the plenum is a great honor. "The cooperation and friendship between Israel and Germany is part of history's miracles and this must provide us with energy to overcome even the toughest problems," Merkel said.

Earlier Tuesday, Merkel met with President Shimon Peres, and the two agreed that only a serious investment in the Palestinian economy could advance the peace process.

Peres showed Merkel his 'peace valley' plan which includes a German-funded industrial zone in Jenin. Merkel said that Germany intends to donate 10 million euros to fund the project.

"Only the improvement of the quality of life, education and infrastructure can push peace forward, as opposed to the supply of guns or donations which only exacerbates the corruption in the Palestinian Authority," Peres said.

Merkel thanked Peres for giving her a personal tour of Sde Boker and said that she was excited about sitting with her ministers in a joint meeting with the Israeli government.

She added that Germany is interested in taking an active part in the economic cooperation between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians and she intends to personally supervise the establishment of the industrial zone in Jenin.

Labor MK shuns Merkel's Knesset speech in German

Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich shunned Merkel's speech, in protest of what she called the "insensitive" decision to let her address the house in German.

"Germany is our friend," Yachimovich said, "but in this day and age we should respect the survivors' injured soul."

Israel Radio quoted Yachimovich as saying she would be absent from the speech because it was "insensitive" toward Holocaust survivors to hold it in German.

Last week, the Knesset House Committee decided to allow Merkel to address the plenum in German. According to the Knesset rules of procedure, heads of states are entitled to address the house in their own language without prior approval. However, since the German head of the state is the country's president, the chancellor's speech had to get special approval.

Over the past two years, the Knesset heard two speeches in German, one by then German President Horst Koehler and another by the European Parliament Speaker Hans-Gert Poettering.

National Union-National Religious Party MK Arieh Eldad said in response to the committee resolution that he would stand up and leave the hall during Merkel's speech.

"I can't bear the thought of hearing German in the Knesset," he said. "This is the language my grandparents were murdered in."

Related articles:
  • 'There were other holocausts'
  • Merkel offers 'tough, decisive' language on Iran nuke program
  • Olmert accompanies Merkel to Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Declassifying AIPAC
    Two former pro-Israel lobbyists charged with revealing secret info. to Israeli diplomats.
    Jersualem pilgrimage
    Christian pilgrims flock to Holy City to mark Good Friday and retrace the route of Jesus.
      1.   why doesn`t that lady from "murder she wrote" just speak english? 12:57  |  don 18/03/08
      2.   Yachimovich`s crocodile tears 13:11  |  Charlie Dean 18/03/08
      3.   FRIENDSHIP WITH GERMANY 13:15  |  Ernest Graefenberg 18/03/08
      4.   DON Why should the President and supporeter not be shown courtesy 13:54  |  PETER SM 18/03/08
      5.   The language of the survivors, as well 14:34  |  Danny 18/03/08
      6.   I suppose English shouldn`t be allowed 14:40  |  natan 18/03/08
      7.   THIS IS SO ABSURD... WHAT HAS LANGUAGE GOT TO DO WITH IT? 14:48  |  TripleJump 18/03/08
      8.   #3 Graefenberg 15:03  |  MR 18/03/08
      9.   Dear Don (learn to respect) 15:04  |  Reuven 18/03/08
      10.   Then, how come buying German weapons is OK? 15:04  |  Rami 18/03/08
      11.   Misguided - with all due respect 15:12  |  Jeroen de Jager 18/03/08
      12.   to #5 Danny from Berlin 15:31  |  MR 18/03/08
      13.   I hope this ridiculous idea of hers will not find 15:35  |  Ilya 18/03/08
      14.   It`s not the language,but who speaks it that matters 15:41  |  Hastaroth 18/03/08
      15.   unjustified 15:53  |  Chaim Moykopf 18/03/08
      16.   What else left to cultivate political revenues of trauma? A lot! 15:57  |  zmogus 18/03/08
      17.   How about Yiddish? 16:34  |  Humble Jew 18/03/08
      18.   TO MR 16:55  |  Ernest Graefenberg 18/03/08
      19.   Merkel addressing the Knesset in German 17:02  |  Ruth 18/03/08
      20.   Compare German vs Arab 17:11  |  California 18/03/08
      21.   Merkel is not telling the truth 17:25  |  Dovy 18/03/08
      22.   Merkel The Single Greatest Healthiest Thing... 17:25  |  Yosemite 18/03/08
      23.   Jonathan? 17:50  |  German 18/03/08
      24.   Majority of Germans hate Israel 17:57  |  semsem 18/03/08
      25.   #21 - Dovy 18:03  |  MichaelF 18/03/08
      26.   Merkel at the Knesset 18:12  |  ari 18/03/08
      27.   to #23 18:22  |  Guest 18/03/08
      28.   Merkel 18:22  |  salah 18/03/08
      29.   #23 Jonathan S, no joke. 18:24  |  dastein 18/03/08
      30.   Stand by you 18:26  |  David 18/03/08
      31.   Majority of the world hates israel 18:29  |  Baruch 18/03/08
      32.   # 23 german 18:31  |  Axel 18/03/08
      33.   Germans still live in WWII 18:34  |  jerome 18/03/08
      34.   Taking of the confusion and what matter is: 19:01  |  Simon Mohammed 18/03/08
      35.   #12 MR 19:06  |  Danny 18/03/08
      36.   @Axel 19:20  |  German 18/03/08
      37.   Jerome, alias Jonathan the hater 19:21  |  anti-blabla 18/03/08
      38.   # 36 german 19:33  |  Axel 18/03/08
      39.   Friendship between Deutschland & Israel 19:50  |  Laugh gas 18/03/08
      40.   to #18 Graefenberg 19:53  |  MR 18/03/08
      41.   No mixed messages 19:59  |  Analyst 18/03/08
      42.   Just compare 20:01  |  Rights Group 18/03/08
      43.   WHY NOT. GERMANS AND ISRAELIS SHARE "SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT" 20:04  |  JACKAL 18/03/08
      44.   Merkel does not speak for millions of Germans.. 20:04  |  hollingsworth 18/03/08
      45.   Jerome, speak up! 20:07  |  hollingsworth 18/03/08
      46.   CHANCELLOR MERKEL, THANK YOU 20:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/03/08
      47.   It will stand by while Iran purchases billions 20:14  |  stan, bye 18/03/08
      48.   angela merkel 20:15  |  robert 18/03/08
      49.   Israel`s got nukes but wimps calling the shots 20:17  |  nuke of earl 18/03/08
      50.   #33, Jerome. Perhaps because you address them "Bosch" in Koln? 20:20  |  zmogus 18/03/08
      51.   # 44 hollingsworth 20:25  |  Axel 18/03/08
      52.   Axel 20:31  |  Gil 18/03/08
      53.   Olmert stands by rocket carnage, Merkel will always stand by too 20:35  |  No wimp 18/03/08
      54.   Cippo Cone 20:41  |  Mel 18/03/08
      55.   Merkel speaks for ALL Germans, with the voice of a large majority 20:42  |  anti-hollingsworth 18/03/08
      56.   Merkel to Knesset: Germany will always stand by Israel 20:42  |  J waxman 18/03/08
      57.   Language 20:55  |  Oliver 18/03/08
      58.   #44 Hollingsworth 21:04  |  Labhras 18/03/08
      59.   stan bye #47 21:05  |  OTTO 18/03/08
      60.   Germany is Occupied Territory 21:11  |  Dovy 18/03/08
      61.   to no 46 Cipora/ bravo 21:15  |  Tina 18/03/08
      62.   BARUCH you are safe the world Loves& Respects the Swiss 21:15  |  PETER SM 18/03/08
      63.   Merkel another EU premier Joker 21:15  |  Bad_Boy 18/03/08
      64.   Isn`t ENGLISH the other language that is taught 21:22  |  ROBOCOP 18/03/08
      65.   yosemite and his jew-hating rogues gallery 21:22  |  hollingsworth 18/03/08
      66.   Israel like German money 21:31  |  Dav 18/03/08
      67.   What the Haaretz censor wants to hide 21:32  |  Jonathan S 18/03/08
      68.   GERMAN IS A JEWISH DIALECT 21:37  |  Johann/Joshua 18/03/08
      69.   Ms. Merkel`s Speech In German 22:00  |  Larry Gold