Berlin, 9th June, 2011 – Over 16 000 people have already signed a petition in support of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision to say no to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state at the opening week of the UN General Assembly in New York in September. On Wednesday a first meeting was organised with the office of the Chancellor in Berlin, handing over 16,027 handwritten signatures. This marked the official launch of the grassroots campaign which will progress over the summer months and be presented to the Chancellor in September, in time for the opening week of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
According to Harald Eckert, the initiator of the campaign and chairman of Christen an der seite Israels and European Coalition for Israel, the 16,000 names are just a beginning. The campaign is expected to gain momentum over the summer and spread to other European countries as an expression of support for Israel at the UN in September. At the moment the governments of Netherlands, Italy and Czech Republic are in agreement with Angela Merkel in opposing a unilateral declaration, but many EU-member states are still undecided.
The petition was presented in Berlin on Wednesday in connection with a symposium in the German Bundestag, where several speakers expressed their support for the German leader.
Conference host, MP Gitta Connemann stated in her speech that the Government’s position has broad support in the German Bundestag. She regretted the fact that the German Parliament last summer issued a statement in support of the Gaza flotilla, asking Israel to lift the naval blockade of Gaza.
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’This was a misjudgment on the part of the German Parliament and today we should know better’
she said, indicating that another flotilla would probably be harshly criticised by the German Parliament.
Connemann is one of several co-chairs of the German-Israel friendship group in the Parliament and was the official host of the conference in Berlin which was organized by European Coalition for Israel and Initiativ 27 Januar.
Former Member of Bundestag, and Chairman of the historical OSCE conference against anti-Semitism in 2004, Professor Gert Weisskirchen welcomed the initiative to organize a symposium in Berlin.
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’Supporting Israel is the foundation stone of any German government, but this is not only the policy of a political elite: it is supported by the grassroots, as expressed here today’,
he said.
In his speech he suggested a ”peace now” campaign in opposition to the unilateral declaration in the UN.
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’This campaign should call upon the PA to immediately return to the negotiating table, avoid any unilateral steps and respect Israel as a Jewish state.’
The keynote speaker at the symposium, Dr Cynthia Wallace from Geneva, outlined the legal foundation of the modern state of Israel by explaining the historical process which led to the re-constitution of the Jewish state.
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-’The UN partition plan in 1947 did not create Israel’, she said. ’The legal rights of Israel were recognized by the international community in April, 1920 when the Balfour Declaration was incorporated into International Law and later confirmed unanimously by the League of Nations.
’Today the legal aspects of the conflict between Israel and the Arabs have been distorted by half-truths and twisting of facts’, she said. ’Israel stands on solid legal ground which can be examined by anyone with some basic knowledge of law and history.’
ECI director Tomas Sandell concluded the seminar by explaining why ECI wants to raise awareness regarding Israel´s legal rights at a time when the emphasis is on the creation of a Palestinian state.
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“Unilateralism does not lead to peace. Only a negotiated agreement between the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority based on historical facts and International Law can create a just and lasting peace.”
As for the future status of Jerusalem’, he stated
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’The only way to ”share” the capital is to keep it under Jewish sovereignty as the undivided capital of the Jewish state. History proves that only under Jewish rule has the capital been kept open for people of all faiths.’
The next ECI symposium on Israel’s legal rights will take place in Rome at the end of June.
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I used to be stationed with the US Army in Germany. A lot of the German folks that were comfortable expressing opinions to me usually said that they resented the collective guilt they were feeling. I couldn’t be emphatic but finally saw how they must have felt. When I did, I thought how can they support Israel. It warms my heart that they would have a group like this. After leaving over 35 years ago my German isn’t what it used to be but it seems that “Gemeinsam für Israel” must translate to “Always For Israel.” That is exactly how I feel. I will always stand with Israel.
Great if it is only a beginning which should spread to the entire EU.