By Benjamin Weinthal , The Corner
Berlin — A senior adviser to German chancellor Angela Merkel urged the U.S. to water down its opposition to the U.N.’s anti-Israel “Goldstone Report” in order to force Israel to freeze settlement construction, according to a cable from the U.S. embassy in Berlin published by WikiLeaks.
The dispatch from Merkel’s point man on the Middle East, Christoph Heusgen, ought to raise giant question marks over Merkel’s oft-repeated declarations to the U.S. Congress and the Israeli Knesset that the Jewish state’s security is “non-negotiable” for Germany.
The embassy said in the November 2009 cable: “[National Security Adviser Christoph] Heusgen said that Germany ‘perceives this differently’ and thought Netanyahu needed ‘to do more’ in order to bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table. With Palestinians in East Jerusalem getting notices from Israeli authorities that their houses will be destroyed, it would be ‘suicide’ for President Abbas to move under the current circumstances.
“Heusgen said he could not fathom why Netanyahu did not understand this. He suggested pressuring Netanyahu by linking favorable UNSC [Security Council] treatment of the Goldstone Report to Israel committing to a complete stop in settlement activity.”
Heusgen conveyed his remarks in a November 10 meeting with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon and the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Philip Murphy.
According to the cable, “Gordon said that making a direct linkage between the two would almost certainly be counterproductive, but agreed that it was worth pointing out to the Israelis that their policy on settlements was making it difficult for their friends to hold the line in the UNSC. Heusgen said this certainly would be an issue when Netanyahu and ‘half of his cabinet’ visit Berlin on November 30 for bilateral government consultations.”
To their credit (somewhat), Murphy and Gordon did not completely capitulate to the German demands. But their willingness, like that of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, to remain incurably fixated on the construction of housing complexes as the impediment to peace shows the dangerous merger of American and EU foreign policy. Iran’s drive to obtain nuclear weapons is relegated to an inferior status — at the expense of global security.
Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu views the Goldstone report — which charged Israel with committing war crimes during its December 2008–January 2009 operations to stop Hamas rocket attacks — as one of the most serious security threats targeting Israel, after the Iranian regime.
Chancellor Merkel’s phony pledge to prioritize Israel’s security interests as part of the so-called German-Israeli “special relationship” is nothing short of betrayal. If she wishes to unravel some of the damage done to the terribly non-special German-Israeli relationship, she could summarily dismiss Heusgen, who has angered Israelis over the years because of his hostility toward the Jewish state. Heusgen is the U.S. equivalent of Charles Freeman.
— Benjamin Weinthal is a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Vinnie,
Some of the conversations on this page seem to be spinning off into the New Chelm in one of the heavens. I don’t mean this as an offense to anyone here; but people in general nowadays seem to be getting detached from reality. One of the indicators that a reality warp is about to happen, is the word “Antisemitism”. You used it yourself, when you said,
The word seems to roll off of Jewish tongues like spittle. On the other hand, forgive me that nobody on Israpundit seems to have ever used expressions such as “Anti-Americanism”, “Anti-Sinitism”, “Anti-Angloism” or, in this case, “Anti-Germanism”. I think Bill Narvey was trying very hard, to carry on a two-way conversation with Yamit, around the idea that.
“Perhaps it is possible that Germans are as concerned about German issues, and as un-concerned about Jewish issues, as Jews are concerned about Jewish issues and unconcerned about German issues; and Bill seemed to be further saying that perhaps this is even understandable.”
Put another way, can’t the people here just grow up and realize that there are other people than themselves in the world? This may come as a great surprize to many here, but the people of the world do not spend most of their time thinking evil about the Jews. In fact, hardly anyone ever thinks about the Jews at all — unless they read the Bible, and see God’s point of view (The most “Antisemitic” remarks among men can’t come close to the criticism God gives about His chosen people), or they are told by one group of Jews what horrible bastards the other group are.
Germany is a big country, with its own problems. It does not revolve around Israel.
“Jew”:
I’m hardly a religious scholar, but for the life of me, I’ve never heard of this doctrine of a “collective soul” of a given people, or the requirement for “collective punishment” as a tenet of Jewish tradition.
Yamit, you are certainly more of a Jewish scholar than I am; you’ve got any comments on this?
“Jew”, does this mean you are also an advocate of “collective salvation”? Logically, this would seem to follow from your concept of “collective punishment”. If so, I absolutely disagree with you. “Collective salvation” is nonsense.
Leaving aside the Nazi period – admittedly, that is a lot to leave aside – many European countries have a terrible history of anti-Semitism. The Spanish, the British, the French, the Poles, the Russians, all of these, prior to the 1930s, could all be said to have been worse than the Germans. And even today, I say again, the two-faced policies of present-day Germany are really no worse in any sense than those of France, Britain (who really is worse than Germany by far), Norway, Sweden, or Spain.
Even looking at the Nazi period, was this a crime of exclusively German origin? Wasn’t Hitler in fact an Austrian? And weren’t a disproportionately high number of concentration camp commanders Austrian (the answer is YES)? What about the other populations who collaborated the Nazis, such as Vichy France, or Quisling’s Norway? The list of peoples – collectively, to use your favored term – and even individuals, who spoke out and stood up to the Nazis is a short list indeed. Yet, how easy it was for those who did! Finland – a German ally for most of the war, said “no”, and “no” meant “no”! So did Bulgaria.
You don’t respond to my point at all, you just make this blanket assertion based on my apparent lack of some sort of “deep” knowledge of Germans. Have you lived there?
I haven’t lived there. I have known a goodly number of Germans, in academia, and during a stint in the U.S. Army. I did detect some knee-jerk anti-Semitism among some, but I would have hardly described this as “virulent” or even any worse than what I’ve experienced among some home-grown anti-Jewish bigots here in the U.S.
I’m as sick and tired of any Europeans – Germans or otherwise – kissing Moslem butt at the expense of Israel, as anyone. But I don’t think you can explain these two-faced policies as uniquely German either in kind or degree. Britain is WAY worse, and even France is pretty bad nowadays. So is Sweden, Spain, and Norway; I’d say all of these are worse than Germany.
None of this is meant to give anybody a “pass”. I would hope that Israeli leaders, and Israel’s supporters in the Diaspora, would hold these and any other leaders to account for such hypocrisy. But we’ve got a lot worse enemies than Germany TODAY, and I think it is foolish of us to waste our energy chasing after the enemies of our past, when far more deadly enemies threaten us in the present.
Our Jewish tradition affirms that there are two kinds of human souls: an individual soul (of every person) and a collective soul (of every people). There is collective responsability, and collective punishment is a fundamental principle of justice. Obviously, the Germans very much oppose this principle of jusctice. Because they fear justice.
You do not know the Germans well enough and you take the surface for the truth.
The above story refutes both the German self-portrait of a “friend of Israel” and the Israeli Left’s saga of Germany being “one of Israel’s best friends”. Germany and the Germans NEVER repented, they NEVER changed. But they are prefect hypocrites, disciplined and longanimously they are awaiting the day to restart.
But the Dolphin submarines on which Israel’s sea-based nuclear deterrent is based, these came from Germany. I understand that the first two were given to Israel, and the third delivered thus far plus two more on order were partially paid for by Germany. Also, German engines power Israeli Merkava tanks.
I don’t dispute the actions taken by Merkel or members of her cabinet related above, or their significance. However, German policy in that regard is not that much different than anyone else in the EU, with rare exceptions (e.g., Poland). Britain is even worse; at least Israeli military leaders can visit Germany without fear of getting arrested for “war crimes” right off the plane!
Let’s face it: There is simply a lot of anti-Semitism in Europe these days masquerading as anti-Zionism. This may be driven in part by knee-jerk political/cultural/historical factors, but is certainly accentuated by the presence of a noisy, growing, and militant Moslem minority. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the European countries with the most positive bilateral relations with Israel – such as Finland and Poland – also have practically zero in the way of a Moslem community.
I just don’t think the problems related above are confined particularly to Germany. And given a growing European backlash against militant Islam – as represented by people such as Geert Wilders – I also don’t think it is necessarily a lost cause for Israel and her supporters to make headway in terms of garnering genuine support for Israel among European leaders. Nothing to count on – they are pretty far gone, I admit – but it may be unwise to simply write them off, as well.
I remember very well the joint press conference of Merkel and BB in Berlin a year ago, then Merkel had the Chuzpa to “insist” that Israel stop all settlements, even before Hussein did so. It is very very unusual in joint press conferences, in particular of “friends”, to chose such undiplomatic expressions as “insist”.
Already then I said that Merkel is not a friend of Israel and that she is rather an hypocrite who pursues her own German interests, i.e. to be whitewashed by the German Jewish community and the government of Israel.
Unfortunately, BB is waek, corrupt and not particularily wise. And regarding the German Jewish Community it is a matter of fact that assimilated Jews can be bought by mere words of praise, for an anti-Semite it suffices to say to an assimilated Jew that he adores him and the assimilated Jew is already convinced that the anti-Semite repented.
About the real character of the Germans the Talmud said it all in Tractate Megila 6a-b: When the Germans unite they will start a global war and ruin the whole word. This is exactly what happened after Hitler annected Austria and thus completed the German unification.
The Germans united again on 14th Tishrei 5751 (3rd October 1990) and the war in Yugoslavia began exactly 9 months later on 14th Tamuz 5751 (26th June 1991), and it is well documented that the German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, a former member of Hitlerjugend and Luftwaffe and NSDAP, was the major driving force in the break out of the Yugoslav war. However, Germany is still separated from Austria and parts of former German territories today under Polish rule. And therefore Germany is the driving force for the establishment of a full European Government which, once established, would fully unite both Poland and Austria with actual Germany. As soon as this is realised, the Germans will try to do to Israel what they successfully did to Yugoslavia. This is what Ariel Sharon, in a sort of a Divine Spirit, anticipated ten years ago in an interview with Yediot Ahronot.
Inge,
I was raised in the most German city in America, and I never heard a disparaging comment about Jews. Before WWII, I am told, there was a pro-German, antiwar element as well as a pro-Polish, pro-war movement; but this is understandable. In the 1970s, a small nazi movement tried to set up there. I saw them — ALL of them, in full brown-shirt uniforms. The loosely filled the back of a flatbed truck. I believe there were many more headlines about them than actual members, and they passed from the scene in a few weeks.
I don’t buy this theory that antisemitism is somehow “in one’s blood”. That’s a purely racist theory.
Let’s be honest, Germany has not changed his stripes with one exception; it’s more covert; being a german, and knowing the deep dislike of the jewish people is something I must admit. I am also ashamed of my country; and therefore happy to no longer be part of it.
With Jews in Gaza getting notices from Israeli authorities that their houses will be destroyed, then being violently taken from their homes by the thousands and made jobless refugees in their own country, the responsible parties went on to a great victory in the next election. There seems to be a disconnect here. Regardless, suicide would be a good option for Abbas: He is a murderer, responsible for funding and otherwise abetting terrorist attacks against innocent civilians.
Your English is very clear and I understood every syllable. I asked you a simple question and you as usual obfuscate. You always do.
I didn’t realize Yamit that for some people like yourself raised in America, you speak a different English than I who was raised in Canada.
Why would any knowledgeable observer believe or leave open the possibility that either of the above countries mentioned believe they have Israels best security needs in mind when they act in exactly the opposite in both word and deed? Anyway you prepare and dress a Pig it’s still not Kosher.
So in view of all that you know and understand explain how you can still give them the benefit of doubt?
Yamit, there was nothing in my post that amounted to being moderate and balanced when it came to Israel. If there was anything moderate, it was to give a large benefit of the doubt to Germany and America by suggesting Germany’s and America’s views vis a vis Israel’s security needs might be truthful. My point was that regardless, Israel’s perceptions of her needs were paramount.
What is feebly moderate and balanced in that?
I really should not have to draw your attention to the plain meaning of my words.
Sorry your feeble attempt to always appear moderate and balanced comes up short when viewed in a reality context. That reality is besides underpinning of Antisemitism, money trumps all other considerations.
It is not unusual that Israelis would see their security concerns and needs differently that other nations that seek to stick their noses into Israeli affairs. Germany, like America may be speaking the truth as to their best intentions to ensure Israel’s security will not be compromised, but it what security needs they refer to are premised on their views and not Israel’s.
Israel thus must stand firm and not flinch from asserting, demanding and getting their security needs met as they see and understand them.
It would be a worthwhile Israeli investment to spend a lot more time and effort in getting Germany, America and other nations that declare their support for Israel’s existence to see Israel’s needs as Israel sees them.