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New German government opens up to Israel

Updated: 06/Dec/2005 19:05

Walter Steinmeier, the newly appointed German FM

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The new German government, headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, is on a campaign to brush up Germany’s foreign policy image – at least in regards to its stand on Israel and terrorism.

Under Gerhard Schroeder’s leadership, the country lost much of the credibility that it held with many Israelis and, to a great extent, became politically non grata in the United States.

According to observers, Germany’s “blind” funding of a corrupt Palestinian Authority led by its military wing Fatah indirectly led to increased terror activity against Israeli targets by splinter groups.

And the Schroeder government’s inability to stand up against dictatorial regimes that have publicly called for Israel’s elimination from the map, in particular Iran, has lost its many potential supporters on the world stage.

No force

The Bush administration has made every effort to block the German initiative to win a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council based on Schroeder’s categorical refusal to use, even if justified, preemptive military force.

Merkel’s government has shown more openness to discussing “all options” available – including the one of using pre-emptive military force, the observers said.

Earlier this week, the newly appointed German foreign minister, Walter Steinmeier, invited the leaders of Jewish groups in the United States to meet with him.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that, “Jewish leaders understood the foreign minister’s initiative as a means of bettering its relationship with the American government.”

Israel Singer, President of the World Jewish Congress told Steinmeier that the new German government should take the global lead in building dialog between Muslims, Christians and Jews.

According to Haaretz, Singer said that “Germany should organize an international symposium – bringing together the leading representatives of the three religions, in Berlin, so that rapprochement and an atmosphere of reconciliation can take place”.