Three years ago, Israel and Germany marked 50 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties between the two countries. The celebrations focused on the supposed mass migration of young Israelis to Berlin. Exaggerated data on the phenomenon, provided by the Germans, was meant to prove that the age of Germany beating itself up over the sins it committed against the Jewish people was over and that Germany had earned the ultimate kosher stamp of approval.
Now, as Germany marks 70 years since the establishment of the State of Israel, the focus is on anti-Semitism and not the celebration of Israel's achievements. It turns out that despite the mass exodus of Israelis to the Berlin paradise, there is anti-Semitism in Germany. Just three years ago, the few who said as much were widely depicted as "party poopers" and were boycotted by German authorities as well as the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
So all of a sudden, anti-Semitism does exist in Germany. This is due in large part to the many Germans and Israelis who made every effort to deny that German society had not really come to terms with its past. There are, of course, those Germans who have done an impressive job of grappling with their past, but they are the minority. Most Germans have no understanding of what anti-Semitism is, so much so that although they themselves make anti-Semitic remarks they remain convinced the phenomenon does not exist in their country.
In one recent example, Germany's music industry association awarded its most prestigious prize, the Echo, to two rappers, one of Tunisian origin, whose lyrics are anti-Semitic. When some began to criticize the controversial decision, the industry didn't reverse course. It was only when previous Echo winners began to demand the rappers give back the award that the academy finally took action. But instead of demanding the rappers return the award, the industry canceled the awards altogether because the Echo brand had been "so badly damaged."
Following a spike in attacks on Jews in Germany, protests in solidarity with the Jewish community were organized last week. Participants were estimated to be in the thousands, many of them Jews who wanted to feel better about themselves and their place of residence, which continues to not have love for them. Ongoing anti-Israel rallies in Germany draw many more protesters, and not just from local Arab and Muslim communities.
But what are we complaining about when the best and brightest of Israel's intellectuals have explained to the Germans they no longer harbor anti-Semitic views and so should break free of their guilty consciences and, as a result of their historical responsibility, get on with criticizing the undemocratic occupier that is Israel.
Germany has grown accustomed to ignoring its anti-Semitism problem and focusing instead on saving Israel from itself through the idea of a "two-state solution." Syria? Terrorism? Iran? None of these issues concern most Germans, whether in the government, the media or the wider public, very much. They still believe Israel is the most pressing problem in the Middle East. It was fascinating to see how, in the special Bundestag session in honor of Israel's 70 years of independence, those usually branded as the "extreme Right" denounced Germany's hypocrisy toward Israel and demonstrated a more realistic understanding of Jerusalem's positions.
