Israel celebrated its 75th birthday, and Germany offered its congratulations. A specially painted Eurofighter in the honor guard symbolized German friendship and made for wonderful photos. But the German ambassador, Steffen Seibert, undermined this gesture of friendship in two ways. A bitter aftertaste remains.
The celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel offered a good opportunity to deepen German-Israeli relations. At the official reception hosted by the Israeli Embassy, Germany's most popular politician, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser represented the German government. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sent a message of greeting, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz also offered his congratulations on Twitter.
Images of connection
A few days earlier, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor had accompanied a delegation from the German Air Force led by the Inspector of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, and the Minister-President of Brandenburg, Dietmar Woidke. The delegation's showpiece was a specially painted Eurofighter, which, together with Israeli, Italian, and American fighter jets, flew along the Israeli coast and even over the Knesset. The Eurofighter demonstrated that German-Israeli relations can reach unprecedented heights.
Double counterpoint of the German ambassador
But aside from the beautiful images and words that portray German-Israeli relations as something one could only wish for, there was unfortunately also the other, the dark side: The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, set a double counterpoint when, on the eve of Independence Day, on the occasion of Yom HaZikaron, the day of remembrance for Israel's fallen and victims of terror, he did not participate in the official state commemoration as usual, but instead in an alternative commemoration event, which is banned in Israel and organized by the anti-Zionist Jewish organization "Combatants for Peace".
In the past, the site has been a place where, together with Palestinians, commemoration has taken place not only for Jewish war dead and victims of terrorism, but also for Palestinian victims of the conflict, including, perfidiously, Palestinian "resistance fighters"—in other words, terrorists. Seibert's participation there was an open affront to Israel. After an outcry in the Israeli media and the cancellation of a meeting with Israeli Minister Ofir Akunis by the Israeli side—"The ambassador's participation in an event that 99% of the Israeli public rejects should not have happened. Now is not the time to meet the ambassador."—Seibert attempted to downplay his participation, claiming he was merely attending in a private capacity. But in reality, an ambassador to the host country is never a private individual, but always a representative.
German funding for questionable NGOs
Seibert showed his support where German money has long been invested, since the EU, and above all German non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Bread for the World, the Civil Peace Service, World Vision, and Agiamondo, are among the main donors to the controversial organization and its anti-Zionist, BDS-aligned (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) activities. This kind of monetary support for organizations critical of (or even hostile to) Israel is unfortunately the rule, not the exception. On the one hand, the German-Israeli relationship is rightly celebrated with great fanfare, joint commemorations are held, and cooperation at various levels is practiced and praised; on the other hand, the German government supports radical, anti-Zionist movements and organizations financially to the tune of millions and politically under the banner of "civil society cooperation." Seibert thus perfectly embodied the Janus face of Germany's contradictory Israel policy. This culminated in the second point of contention when Seibert, on the orders of the Foreign Office, forbade the Eurofighter from flying with the formation over Judea and Samaria, referred to in German parlance as "occupied territories." The German Eurofighter temporarily broke ranks with the friendly formation. Next year, the Federal Republic, only a year younger, will also celebrate a significant anniversary. Do we really want to reap what we sow?
