To those who have read this blog for a long time, they know that I have a deep affection for Germany, a country where I spent three years as a US serviceman in the 1960s. It is also clear that in the past few years, I have developed a strong disapproval of Angela Merkel's immigration policies, which have put the safety of her own citizens at risk.
My time in Germany, spent just outside Nuremberg, led me to become an amateur scholar of all things related to Nazism and the Holocaust. That is a large reason why I devote much of this site to fighting anti-semitism. The memory of the Holocaust must be kept alive for the simple reason that it must never happen again. And it could happen again.
I sincerely believe that in most accounts, Germany has worked hard to become a decent country since the end of World War II. Their sense of guilt is part of the reason that Germans like Merkel feel they have to take the lead in admitting refugees no matter how shaky their claims may be.
Now it appears that Merkel has put a new stain on her country. According to reports, she has urged several European countries not to follow President Trump's lead in moving our Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
https://www.jpost.com/International/Merkel-urged-EU-countries-to-not-move-embassies-to-Jerusalem-due-to-Iran-573452
The symbolism of this is beyond troubling. If it came from any other country, it would be bad enough. But we are talking about Germany here. Since the end of World War II, West Germany (and now the reunified Germany) has had a special relationship with Israel for obvious reasons. That a German chancellor would act so proactively against Israel's interests cannot be overlooked.
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