I fail to comprehend the protest expressed by Knesset members who demanded that German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliver her planned speech at the Knesset next week in English, rather then in her native tongue, German. Their argument that “a speech in German will hurt Holocaust survivors” is completely baseless.
The German language – which, by the way, is also spoken by the Austrians and a large part of Switzerland’s residents – is not the thing that may hurt Holocaust survivors or any other person in Israel. After all, I, an Auschwitz survivor who has been dealing with the issue of the Holocaust for decades now, can attest to that.
In any case, a Knesset speech in German will not hurt Holocaust survivors more than the many Israeli ministers who over the years chose to be chauffeured in a German-made vehicle even when they were offered other alternatives.
So what is it, only the German language is a no-no? Could it be that what we have here is case of populism? If so, then this is very lowly populism indeed. By all means, if Knesset members truly want to initiate a meaningful protest, they can demand that the German national anthem will no longer be played in Israel ;because the sound of the German national anthem certainly hurts the survivors, and not only them. It hurts all European peoples who were forced to live under Nazi occupation for many years.
Even though the Germans no longer sing the well-known first verse of the anthem, “Deutschland uber alles” (Germany above all,) this makes no difference; because it isn’t the words that have been etched in memory, but rather, the melody. I admit that every time I hear it, before a soccer match for example or a German Olympic victory, or in some kind of world championship, I shudder.
Merkel a friend of Israel
As Germany, in complete defiance of any logic and while showing contempt to and hurting the feelings of hundreds of millions of Europeans and other peoples as well, did not see fit to change its national anthem, perhaps the time has come for an initiative by the Israeli parliament that would propose this. Many other nations may join the initiative.
Now back to the English language and to Angela Merkel. The first female Chancellor in German history has proven more than once, as opposed to some of her predecessors, that she is a friend of Israel and that she does not hesitate to condemn Muslim terrorism in general, and Arab terror against Israel in particular.
Ever since she was elected, Merkel has proven that she is a worthy, level-headed, and strong leader who is deeply familiar with the issues at hand. She is a true democrat. Yet of all people she is the one being harassed with an argument that has no basis or justification. What a pity.