On Aug. 19, 1965, ambassador Rolf Pauls of Germany presented his credentials to Israel’s president Zalman Shazar. The tension and solemnity of the occasion were evident. Formal intergovernmental relations were being launched between Israel and Germany in the dreadful shadow of the Shoah.
Three milestones paved the way for this historic rapprochement. The Luxembourg Agreement of 1952, which constituted the Federal Republic of Germany’s assumption of responsibility for the consequences of the Holocaust; the meeting in March 1960 between David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, and Konrad Adenauer, Germany’s first chancellor; and the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann.
The Luxembourg Agreement formed the foundation for opening a dialogue, which, after long years of deliberate, mutual and courageous effort, culminated in the meeting between Ben-Gurion and Adenauer. The Eichmann trial helped change the two countries’ perception of each other, making it possible to look forward to a different future.
Formal diplomatic ties between Germany and Israel were established on May 12, 1965, a landmark day in the history of both countries. The 50 years since have been marked by the rapid development of relationships and contacts in all fields, and the burgeoning of a friendship that has become part of the bedrock of international affairs. German-Israeli ties now cover every possible field of human endeavour and achievement, from scientific research and technological innovation, to youth exchange programs, civic partnerships, municipal exchanges, cultural collaborations, sport, tourism and much more.
Today, a quarter of all Israelis have visited Germany, while more than 700,000 young people have participated in bilateral exchange projects. Meanwhile, a trade relationship worth a mere $100 million in 1960 has grown to $7.4 billion in 2013, making Germany Israel’s third-most-important trading partner, after the United States and China. Israel, in turn, is Germany’s second-most-important trading partner in the Near and Middle East.
At the government level, building upon the deep desire of both peoples, our countries have worked consistently to expand and deepen mutual trust and understanding, as well as the platforms for exchange and interaction that make it possible for these to flourish. Visits at the highest political levels have developed into regular exchanges, including annual government-to-government consultations and close co-ordination between trusted partners. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was on a state visit in Germany earlier this month.
At the core of Adenauer’s and Ben-Gurion’s efforts was the recognition on the German side of the need to demonstrate in the most concrete terms – to itself, to Israel and the Jewish world, and to the broader international community – that the country had detached from its Nazi past and was committed to the responsibility that the past had laid at Germany’s door. For Israel, close relations with Germany were a geopolitical imperative for the young state, a matter of securing Israel’s future in the family of nations, without forgetting the past.
The unique relationship built by our two nations in the five decades of our ties has helped both countries normalize our international standing, entrench our security and economic well-being, and make meaningful contributions to global society.
This success is founded upon three key principles: Germany’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel, for which every Israeli is grateful; our mutual commitment to remembrance and education of the next generation; and our mutual understanding that the well-being of our people requires that we work together to build a safe and prosperous future for all.
German-Israeli relations are built on this dual commitment to the past and the future. A unique trust and a real friendship have been courageously fashioned out of the abyss created by the horrors of the Nazi era. We are proud of what our two countries have achieved together and full of optimism for what lies ahead.
DJ Schneeweiss is the consul general of Israel to Toronto and Western Canada. Walter Stechel is consul general of the Federal Republic of Germany in Toronto.