Germany, Israel sign youth exchange agreement
Young Israeli participating in project says, 'In Israel we only learned about Nazi Germany, here I saw new angles'
As part of the program, Israeli youths are brought to Germany to meet with Germans of their own age, while Germans also visit Israel.
Signing the agreement for Israel, Union of Local Authorities Deputy Director-General Avi Rabinovitch told delegates, "This is a great honor for me on behalf of the State of Israel."
Rabinovitch said he saw the Youth Exchange program as a way to foster warmer relations between Israelis and Germans who would one day become leaders of their countries.
"There is nothing more important, more rewarding," said Jochen Weitzel, of Germany's Federal Youth Ministry.
Ben Rubenstein, 21, described the feeling of taking part in the program and visiting Germany as a young Israeli who has lost family members in the Holocaust.
"Personally, I come from a home of Holocaust survivors. That's why for me, this was a very deep and personal experience. The Germans are not trying to re-brand themselves or brainwash you. They don't hide the Holocaust; they acknowledge it as part of their history."
"It was definitely worth it," Rubenstein added. "Here in Israel we only learn about Nazi Germany, not the new Germany. We saw things from new angles," he said.
Simona Schutz, Third Secretary of the German Embassy in Israel, told Ynetnews that the Youth Exchange program preceded bilateral relations between Israel and Germany.
"It definitely makes an impact," she said. "It's one thing for politicians to meet each other, but it's another when young people meet, make friends, and stay in touch. It changes their lives," she added.
"Many write letters, and many Germans come to visit Israel," Schutz said.
'Special relations'
A senior Israeli source associated with the program told Ynetnews that the initiative, which dates back decades, was responsible for the existence of modern ties between the two countries.
"Today, German flags wave in Israel, because the youth exchange is a cornerstone of relations. Even during the worst crises, the intifada, the Lebanon war, in most cases, the program continued to take place," he said.
The source added that late German President Johannes Rau was a member of the youth exchange.
However, there was no doubt that "the Holocaust was in the background of the exchange."
"We don't have normal ties, instead we have special relations, in all the senses of the word," he added. "That's the basis of the whole program."
Speaking to Ynetnews, German Embassy Spokesman Christoph Blosen said he wanted to improve Germany's modern image in Israel.
"Germany in Israel continues to be linked to the Shoah, and that's only natural," he said. "Germany today is a different country. It accepts its responsibility. We would like to get young Israelis to see the new image."
