Mazal Tov! Congratulations Israel

Speaking before the Knesset, Chancellor Merkel stressed that the scars of the past cannot heal in the course of just two generations. This was the first time a foreign head of government had spoken before the Israeli parliament. The Knesset bylaws had been changed especially to allow the Chancellor’s address.
Ahead of Merkel’s speech, Dalia Itzik, the Knesset Speaker, said: "The Shoah is always with us. I often ask myself what would have happened to the Jewish people if the Nazis had not led the Jews of Europe to the gas chambers".

The Chancellor began her speech by thanking the Knesset for allowing her to speak in German. Emphasising that she did not take this for granted, Merkel said "The Shoah is a source of great shame for us Germans. I bow before the victims, I bow before the survivors and before all those who helped them to survive."

Merkel had begun her address with a few sentences of Hebrew. This drew applause from MPs even though the Knesset bylaws strictly forbid it.

Israel’s security is non-negotiable

The Chancellor did not shy away from addressing contentious issues. How, for example, should policymakers respond to surveys that produce unpopular results? What should be done when a clear majority of people in Europe say they believe that Israel and not Iran poses the greater threat to world peace?

Merkel said she could not understand such responses. She reminded her audience that Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad still refused to recognise the State of Israel and had no constructive answers to the Middle East crisis.

Chancellor Merkel warned that "if Iran came into possession of an atomic bomb, it would have devastating consequences. First and foremost for Israel’s security and existence, then for the region and, finally, for Europe and the entire world".

Merkel said Germany is counting on a diplomatic solution through UN channels. She told the Israeli parliament that "for me, as a German chancellor, Israel’s security is non-negotiable."

Strength to make painful concessions

Looking to the Middle East peace process, the Chancellor said: "I am only too aware that unsolicited advice from outsiders will not help the situation", adding that it is up to Israel and Palestine to resolve the conflict between themselves. But because the dual state vision can only be achieved through compromise, Merkel offered support from the international community. She said that both sides must find the "strength to make painful concessions".

Chancellor Merkel is the first ever head of government to address the Israeli parliament. The honour is usually reserved for heads of state. Former German President Johannes Rau spoke before the Knesset in 2000 and his successor Horst Köhler did so in 2005. At the speaker’s initiative, the Knesset changed its bylaws especially to facilitate Chancellor Merkel’s address.

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