German voters will decide the fate of their country on Sunday in what is perhaps the closest election in two decades. As they do that, we must take a step back and thank outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. Although much younger, she is in many ways a direct successor to Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, who as chancellors presided over the "Special Relationship" between Israel and Germany.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Merkel has cast real substance into that relationship. Not only has she own up to Germany's responsibility for the atrocities of the Holocaust but also acknowledged Germany's commitment to Israel's continued existence in peace and security as the nation-state of the Jewish people
This approach should not be taken for granted. Having grown up in East Germany, she had had very limited knowledge of Israel, the Jews, and the Holocaust before she entered politics. That's why when she became chancellor, there was some concern over what her policies would be, but this was quickly dispelled when she made it clear that she saw herself committed to the Jewish people and their country because of the belief that Germany would not be the same without its Jews. In her first speech before the Knesset in 2008, she even took this pledge farther than her predecessors by stating that Israel's security is part of Germany's national interest. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, Merkel said that Germany cannot stay neutral or indifferent when it comes to Israel's security.
Under Merkel's leadership, Germany has confronted its past with courage and honesty. She has cracked down on antisemitism in her own country and throughout Europe and adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism. The German parliament also condemned the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and called in antisemitism. Germany also spearheaded the effort to torpedo the International Criminal Court's inquiry against Israel. Those steps are still considered controversial in Europe but Merkel has never backed down from her steadfast support of Jews and their country's security. She has also expanded the intelligence and security sharing with Israeli agencies, making such ties the strongest Israel has among any European Union member state. As part of this posture, Germany declared all parts of Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
But for all the great things in Israeli-German relations during the Merkel era, which should be commended, we must also shed light on the bilateral aspects that still need improvement. When it came to striking a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, she has pursued a conciliatory approach, unlike the French and British negotiators who have been much more hawkish. Germany's posture on Iran is a direct threat to Israel's security and runs against our very national interests. Germany's voting record in international organizations has also been replete with disappointments under her tenure, as she has largely preferred to toe the line of the EU on many issues in a way that is not commensurate with the special relationship between the two countries. For example, she has joined the rebuke of the US decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem
In the grand scheme of things, the positive aspects of Merkel's policy toward Israel outweigh the negative ones. Merkel is among those rare foreign leaders who became a champion for Israel due to a real sense of commitment rather than just because this served her interests. The chancellor who will emerge victorious following Sunday's vote, regardless of who it is, will be from a different breed of politicians. Merkel's political class is on its way out. Thank you, Angela Merkel for being a true Israeli friend. We hope to see you again.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
