Germany's Diplomatic Screwup

This article first appeared in Eagle Rising.


This week, the German foreign minister is visiting Israel in observance of Israel’s observance of the Holocaust. It is entirely proper that he do so for obvious reasons. Ever since the creation of Israel, Germany has had a “special relationship” with the Jewish state, both during the West German Bundesrepublik era and since reunification.

Unfortunately, however, Germany’s current foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, doesn’t understand this relationship. When he announced his intention to meet with Israeli opposition groups who are aligned with those seeking to destroy the Jewish state, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to cancel his scheduled meeting with Gabriel. The response of the German foreign minister was that it was no catastrophe. He added that it was perfectly normal to meet with opposition groups when visiting a foreign country.

Maybe for the foreign minister of Bolivia when visiting Israel, but not the foreign minister of Germany.

Of course, Germany is hardly the only European country that has strained relations with Israel-thanks to Europe’s cowardly bowing to Palestinian/Arab/Muslim interests. Sweden is probably the worst with more NGOs opposing Israel than any other European country. But Sweden doesn’t share Germany’s history other than sitting out World War II and allowing the German military to transit their country to supply occupied Norway. Germany generally understands its history and acts accordingly. In this case, however, Gabriel has caused a diplomatic incident by placing more importance on meeting with pro-Palestinian Israelis than the Israeli prime minister and making a careless statement to defend it.

Mr. Gabriel would be well advised to worry more about the mess in his own country thanks to Angela Merkel’s welcome mat for over one million migrants, refugees, and fortune seekers of whom a large percentage are criminals, rapists, murderers and jihadists. Merkel has brought her country and, indeed, Europe to the brink of collapse by this insane immigration policy, which ironically, is driving the remaining Jews out of the continent for fear of another Holocaust.

I say all this as one who spent three years in Germany, has returned several times, and loves the country. It pains me to see what is happening to Germany and the rest of Europe. But I also support Israel, and in this case, Gabriel’s actions and words have been careless to put it politely. He was there to observe the Holocaust-not to offend his hosts and give legitimacy to those who wish to destroy the Jewish state.