(for  German version please scroll down)
**************************************

The historical responsibility toward Israel is part of Germany’s raison d’etre. This has been a consensus among German politicians since 1965, when the official diplomatic relations between the countries commenced. Whereas Germany’s bi- or multi-lateral relations towards other nation-states are part of the foreign policy discourse, Israel seems to be much more of a domestic issue – an inner German debate. This has been amplified in recent months as the German double standard has become ever more explicit: The Russian annexation of Ukraine has challenged the German silence on Israeli annexation policies in the West Bank; And, the ethos of Germany’s “shared values” with Israel has been challenged by the new right-wing government in Israel. These debates cause German politicians and public figures great discomfort. They often shy away from criticism, fearing the German public debate and media landscape that tends to notoriously label any criticism of Israel as antisemitism. In the meantime, the powerful pro-Israeli NGO ELNET is dominating Germany and Europe’s political sphere, providing a one-sided view of Israel. In academic, cultural, and public spheres, critique of Israel is silenced by the pressure to abide by the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, conflating it with critical debate about Israeli policies.