Opinion
Boosting Israel's enemies
Benjamin Weinthal
Published: 12.04.11, 18:21
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26 Talkbacks for this article
1. Germans are not our friends
Rachel ,   US   (04.12.11)
And they should have no say in Middle East negotiations.
2. In politics,only friendship is interest.
(04.12.11)
3. Germany/Iran
herb glatter ,   hood river, USA   (04.12.11)
Today, 66 years after the defeat of Germany, America still has 52,000 troops stationed there so as to avoid a repeat of what took place after World War One. American blood and treasure has assured that Germany has not been a threat to its neighbors for the longest period of time in 140 years. Now thanks to our generosity, Germany has become an economic powerhouse, which is fine. What is not fine is doing business with the world's leader in terrorism - Iran.
4. Germany and Iran
Harold ,   USA   (04.12.11)
Germany or any country in the world cannot consider Iran as an enemy because Israel says so. I love to go to Germany just at least to eat the Iranian Pistachio. Israel must change its foreign policy to collect friends and not enemies.
5. Some people will do anything for money.
Ilya   (04.12.11)
6. iran ,money german bank
otto ,   australia   (04.13.11)
money ads money,germany have to pay all the bills of europe and at least so far 150 billion $ compesation for holocaust and free subs for Israel ,so the money has to come from somwhere ,and it means to be Iran, and santions ,now "israel"was not ashschamed to sell weapons to Iran at the hight of tension beetwen the two countries.,Thank you ,germany deserves to make a dollar, the same as the US !
7. #3 herb
David ,   America   (04.13.11)
Shalom herb! It is always good to hear from a neighbor who knows what is happening. Iran is the scumbag of the world and US allys should not do business with this devil of a nation. It feels good to have someone so close in agreement. Unlike stupid Harold who is obviously oblivious to what is happining in the world. David, Bend, Oregon
8. Friendship for money
Max Maier ,   Germany   (04.13.11)
A writer from a neocon think tank trying to find reasons why Israel should receive half a billion Euro of German taxpayer money. It is remarkable that apparently friendship with Israel has to be shown by handing over money. There is no UN embargo on Iranian oil sales and India is well within its rights to buy Iranian oil. Just as they do with Cuba the US may well decide to embargo Iranian money transactions. However, this is not binding for anyone else.
9. Germany has betrayed Israel during the
Chris Rettenmoser ,   Bayerisch Gmain Germ   (04.13.11)
Yom Kippur war and it has never ever done anything else, than paying lip service for Israels support and dealing with Israels enemies at the same time... PLEASE W A K E UP...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. That's my girl ;) ,...
split ,   US   (04.13.11)
11. Comical
Mikesailor ,   Miami, FL   (04.13.11)
So, Israel wants Germany to provide it with a submarine at a 'reduced fee', otherwise it is antisemitic. And they say Israelis don't have a sense of humor.
12. Germany & Iran
Edward ,   Savannah, USA   (04.13.11)
Why shouldn't we be surprised at this!!!??? You can take a Nazi out of Germany but you somehow just can't quite take the Nazi out of the Germans!!! But hey...the Germans just might knock a third of the price off that submarine that Bibi wanted to make all of this go down easier!!!
13. Politics and the future
MARY ,   RICHMOND HILL   (04.13.11)
Germany ought to be more careful. Soon, they ,along with the rest of the Western democracies will be considered another friendly "Muslim State". Germany needs its oil to fuel the factories, heat their homes and fry their schnitzel. Their lip service to friendship with Israel, should be viewed not just as an offence to Israel, but as a betrayal to their continued existence as a country with European heritage and culture. I fear that in the near future this entire conversation about Germany and the rest of Europe will focus more on Germans crying out for help as their country is taken over by democratic elections to form a new Islamist European Nation. Keep making deals Germany, you are setting the foundation for the future. Israel already deals with this problem every day and tries to exist the best it can. So beware, Israel friendship and politics do not exist under the same roof.
14. #7
herb glatter ,   hood river, usa   (04.13.11)
David: you put a smile on my face with your comment, it's a little lonely out here dontcha think? anyway, Happy Passover, Herb
15. silly comments on here...
Dino Domingo ,   Vancouver, Canada   (04.13.11)
I quote this from herb "Now thanks to our generosity, Germany has become an economic powerhouse, which is fine" ...herb, what the heck are you talking about? you make a very cocky and ignorant comment. Germany, Italy, England, Israel, Croatia, Holland....can do business with whomever they want...its not Israels business. did Israel ask permission to anyone when they were supporting apartheid in South Africa? they made a business deal to support their interests, the rest of the world can't do much about regardless if it is ethical or not! you people have memory loss and selective memory! Germany has every right just as you do!
16. #11 Swab Jockey, Cap't of the Head
BEN JABO ,   ISRAEL   (04.14.11)
For my part the Krauts can keep their sub, all the have to do is resurrect the six million of our people they killed The sub has the proper configuration, get some grease, put it where the sun don't shine
17. re 3: What are you talking about?
Tobias   (04.14.11)
quote from herb, #3: "America still has 52,000 troops stationed there so as to avoid a repeat of what took place after World War One. American blood and treasure has assured that Germany has not been a threat to its neighbors" What are you suggesting? Do you believe that Germany is militarily occupied by the USA, and therefore peaceful? Nonsense. We live in real peace and friendship with all our neighbours, and are no threat for them -- even without the influence and supervision of american troops. Wake up - Europe in 2010 is not like Europe in 1940. We have changed.
18. #15 Dino
solomon ,   bklyn   (04.14.11)
Israel does have an interest in anything that helps Iran build a nuclear bomb, as Iran has threatened Israel's annihilation and the bomb is the only way to achieve it. Note that South Africa never threatened another country with annihilation. The selective memory is yours.
19. German Friend!
Lukas ,   Berlin, Germany   (04.14.11)
It needs to be noted that the EIHB is not subject to UN resolution 1803. Hence it can't be shut down without proof of proliferation. However German media reported repeatedly that EIHB is under very strict observation by the German banking supervision. Eventhough it is Iranian owned it is still a company operating under German law and must be treated as such. Also the bank was founded a decade before the revolution in Persia. In fact most Persians in Germany fled their country because of that revolution and they remain tireless critics of the Iranian regime. As for the Foreign Ministry's involvement: It has been suggested that the deal mentioned had to do with freeing the journalists Hellwig and Koch who had been held hostage by the Iranian regime. What can you do? The state needs to take care of it's citizens. I can assure you that the general public in Germany (except for the Muslim minority of course...) holds no sympathies for the Iranian regime. Israel however is very popular with many who don't simply buy the leftist propaganda spread by tabloids. It is most unfair to make those Nazi remarks! You might want to drop by first and talk to some educated Germans before making such comments. As for that unanimous parliamentary vote concerning the Mavi Marmara resolution it needs to be pointed out that this happened very quickly after the incident and without any further information about the actual activities there. The vote was held in the wake of similar votes with similar results throughout Europe. It was a knee-jerk effect if anything. That vote should never have been held. At least not at that point in time. If the same poll was to be held today the result would certainly look very different.
20. germans and Islam
nadav ,   tel aviv   (04.14.11)
Germany was also aware of companies selling tech and components to Iraq that had dual purpose use as military hardware. Only after the Firs Persian Gulf War that the Germans were "Shocked" that Iraq could use German tech to bomb Israel with chemical weapons (thank god they didn't)! Should war break out between Israel and Iran's fanatical jihadist regime, the Germans will again claim "they didn't know" that they supported Iran's military!
21. #19 Lukas
solomon ,   bklyn   (04.14.11)
Thank you for letting us know the 'other side of the story'. We don't see this kind of information very often.
22. To 18 - solomon
Dino Domingo ,   Vancouver, Canada   (04.14.11)
you've gotta be kidding me! so its ok to suppress people, create racism, supply arms and money to help create arartheid? man, are you ever ignorant! regardless...of course Iran should never get ahold of a nuclear bomb but if they want it they have the money for it already...its not like this is a game changer! many countries have economic trade with Iran...you think because Isreal is afraid of them the world should stop doing business with them? why? its nobody else's business just like it was nobody's business when Israel supportes apartheid. I don't see you logic...but then again you are from Brooklyn!
23. #22 Dino
solomon ,   bklyn   (04.14.11)
My point was that countries censured Israel for trading with South Africa. Apartheid is horrid but is not a threat of instant annihilation of a country. If countries censured Israel for supporting South Africa, surely Israel is entitled to do all it can to stop Iran from getting the bomb. The bomb + threats of annihilation IS a game changer...at least for the Israelis right now. It will ultimately become a game changer for the world. But I'm sure it is not a game changer for you, sitting in Vancouver, almost as far away from Iran as one can get.
24. Lukas, Germans made a big mistake
Howie ,   Montreal, Canada   (04.14.11)
I appreciate your comments, Lukas. However, it was certainly not a friendly or respectful act for the Bundestag to unanimously condemn Israel over the Mavi Marmara incident without knowing the full facts. Why did the German MPs assume Israel was at fault? Why does Israel as a democratic country have to continually prove its innocence when it protects its citizens against terrorists? You would think that the German Federal Government representatives would know better and act more morally than they did in this matter. It is another shameful act by the German Government unfortunately.
25. Howie
Lukas ,   Berlin   (04.14.11)
I agree with you. It was shamefull. I don't know why they voted like that. I cant read their minds. I can only assume. And that's what I already wrote: The poll was done in the very wake of the incidents. What had really happened was basically unknown. It was mostly vague media coverage - and people (also the MPs) were under the impression of that. I don't know about Canada, but I do know that the first reactions throughout Europe were similar. Also that had it's effect on the German vote. Like I said: This poll should not have been conducted so soon after the incident. By the way: The German resoluion we're talking about here only about proportionality. It didn't state that Israel had no right to uphold the blockade. It merely questioned if the means were reasonable. And during those first few days it did appear as though it had really just been a ship full of harmless hippies. Israel has to prove it's actions are legal just the same way any Western country would be expected to do so. Had the incident not involved the Israeli navy, but the American or British or German, the questions asked would have been the same. You must not forget that Europe is still in a bit of a state of hibernation. Many Europeans don't know any such conflicts as the Middle East one first hand. They live in peaceful countries that aren't threatened by anyone. Naturally they would think of the Mavi M. protestors as something similar to as maybe the eco-activists back home. And those who do know this isn't true do also realize what kind of situation is brewing within the EU. Right now it seems that the European governments can only keep their Turkish and Arabic minorities at bay by awkward attempts of appeasement.
26. post-fascist germans
age ,   germany   (07.02.11)
the germans, and their politics too, are a sneaky society. they mean, they have learned trough the shoah and the second world war, but their accession for rationality and educational stay treacherous. *long live israel!*
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