Israel and Germany — A Unique Kind of Relationship
By Mia Kreindler
The relationship between Israel and Germany is one that will always be defined by the horrors of the Holocaust. Never will any political or diplomatic interaction between the two countries be able to make up for the atrocities of the Holocaust. Germany and its people will forever carry the burden of the six million murdered Jews.
Immediately after the Holocaust, Israel, a symbol of the Jewish people’s enduring and resilient spirit, chose to move forward with German relations. They did so cautiously, however, taking care to simultaneously ensure that any such relationship was founded based on Germany’s repentance and deep commitment to Israel’s safety and well-being. The first step towards a relationship between the two countries began in 1952, with an agreement between Germany (then The Federal Republic of Germany — also West Germany) and Israel.
The agreement also known as the Luxembourg Agreement, which came into effect in 1953, laid out that Germany was to pay reparations to Israel for the atrocities of the Holocaust. It was a monumental step in the right direction, where Germany committed to reparations to Israel and Holocaust survivors. While no amount of reparations could ever make up for the atrocities of the Holocaust, Israel saw the Luxembourg Agreements as a first step of rectification by Germany. Important to note, is that this agreement was extremely controversial and very polarizing. Protests came from both the right and left, as well as many Holocaust survivors. The consensus was accepting the agreements would be akin to forgiving Germany for the atrocities they committed.
1965 proved to be another crucial year for Israeli-German history. The year marked the establishment of complete and official diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israel decided it was in its best interest to establish diplomatic ties with Germany. The importance here lay not only in Germany’s emergence as one of Europe’s major powers, but also because of the importance of engaging with Germany on a cultural and educational level. This way, Israel could ensure that the newer German generations would uphold their commitment to making sure that history never repeats itself, that Jewish life in Germany was vehemently protected, and that they enforce the collective guilt that Germans must carry.
Economically, Israel and Germany also formed a budding relationship in the mid-Sixties, building on one another’s strengths. Israel’s flourishing and innovative tech sector meshing with Germany’s industrial power proved to be the basis of an economic relationship that is still growing to this day. Germany has become Israel’s top trading partner in Europe.
Germany has made supporting and protecting Israel a cornerstone of its foreign and defense policy. Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor has said that Germany is Israel’s most important strategic partner after the U.S. Accordingly, the two countries have established a military relationship over the years. Germany has provided Israel with German-made defense equipment and ensures that the countries are in constant dialogue regarding security and defense. In this bilateral relationship, Germany just recently committed to buying missile defense systems from Israel in the largest defense deal Israel has ever closed.
The relationship, however, was deeply fractured after the hostage-taking and massacre of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics by Palestinian terrorists. Despite warning signs, Germany’s authorities were unacceptably unprepared and could not adequately respond to the situation. Their flawed attempt at negotiating with the terrorists and freeing the hostages resulted in the murder of all of the Israeli athletes. The massacre served as a dark reminder that Israelis and Jews were still unsafe in Germany and could not rely on Germany to keep them safe.
Challenges in Israel and Germany’s relationship persisted. Against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Germany has in the past engaged in criticism and expressed concern regarding Israel’s military and defense policies during the conflict. With that said it is important to note that the criticism that Germany voiced was usually voiced within a broader diplomatic context.
Concerningly, Germany has seen and is seeing a stark rise in antisemitism. Both right and left-wing antisemitism has been rising in Germany, and hatred stemming from Arab immigrants in Germany has become undeniable. After the barbaric terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th, and the measures that Israel is now taking, antisemitism has been rising all across Germany.
Magen Davids (Stars of David) have been sprayed on the doors of Jewish homes, people in Germany have spread rampant antisemitism at pro-Palestine demonstrations, and a Berlin synagogue was attacked when someone threw Molotov cocktails at it. While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has proclaimed that Germany stands behind Israel, it remains to be seen how Germany deals with the rising antisemitism in Germany and whether Germany upholds its commitment to Israel’s safety.
Germany’s determination to stand behind Israel will no doubt be tested in the coming months. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how Germany will deal with the rising antisemitism in Germany and the increasing danger that Jews and Israelis in Germany find themselves in. Germany will always have the moral, ethical and historical obligation to do all it can to protect Jews within and beyond its borders. As Israel’s second most important strategic partner after the US, it is all the more important that Germany upholds this obligation.
