On today’s German-Israeli government consultations taking place in Israel, the WerteInitiative jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V. states: As German Jews, we look with anticipation to today’s German-Israeli government consultations. Israel is a special country for us, one with which many of us have family or friendship ties. The State of Israel is also of great emotional significance for most Jews. For Germany, Israel has been one of its most important diplomatic partners for over 50 years. Having arisen against the background of a painful history, German-Israeli relations are today as diverse as the two societies themselves. These government consultations are needed if the many-layered relations are to remain fit for the future and to be developed further. The two countries can benefit from one another in a wide range of fields. The leading start-up nation on the Mediterranean, for instance, is today a worldwide model in matters of technology and innovation and thus an ideal economic partner for Germany, the world export champion. On the socially relevant subject of integration, Germany can learn a good deal from Israel. For even as a young state Israel succeeded in integrating a large number of refugees and immigrants from various countries. The value of good cooperation also becomes clear in the field of foreign and domestic policy, which today are inseparably linked. The chairman of the WerteInitiative, Elio Adler, on this: “Both countries are confronted with the threat of terror. It should therefore be in the interest of both countries, and of our shared values, to protect the population from the criminal activities of terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah. If these are resolutely countered on German soil, peace can be preserved both here in Germany and in and around Israel.” Furthermore, terms such as “Staatsräson” (reason of state) and “special relations” should in future too be filled with life and substance. A German-Israeli youth exchange, offering the opportunity to get to know one another beyond the history lesson, is essential to this.
