Germany Israel and the struggle for diplomatic recognition
Germany, Israel, and the struggle for diplomatic recognition
TEHRAN – The Luxembourg Agreement in 1952 was a critical moment in the relationship between Germany and Israel, by which they began a complex and multi-faceted partnership.
There were many contextual dimensions to this partnership. There would again be a second critical turning point in 1965, after over a decade of consideration, when formal diplomatic relations were established between the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Israeli regime.
This decision was fraught with political, moral, and emotional complexities, reflecting the lingering shadows of the Holocaust and the geopolitical realities of the Cold War. Establishing diplomatic relations in 1965 was a bold step in moving toward normalization in the face of threats and incitement. It also exposed the unresolved complexities of the relationship between the two nations.
A delicate and controversial process
The path to formal diplomatic relations between West Germany and Israel was lengthy and difficult. In the years after the Luxembourg Agreement, Germany had made reparations payments to Holocaust survivors and provided aid to Israel that assisted its economic establishment. Yet the establishment of official diplomatic relations remained a sensitive topic.
This was especially true for many Israelis, some of whom were heavily opposed to the idea of formal relations with Germany. The trauma of the Holocaust was still fresh in most Israelis’ memories. The reality of Nazi atrocities was very close.
Political and public opinion was heavily divided in Israel, even former prime minister Menachem Begin was outspokenly opposed to the notion of formalizing relations with a country that had been responsible for one of history's largest genocides, killing about six million people. Begin and those who supported him viewed the formal recognition of Germany as a betrayal of the victims of the Holocaust.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials, particularly Prime Minister Levi Eshkol and Foreign Minister Golda Meir, saw formal relations with West Germany as a vital move for Israel’s political and economic security. By the early 1960s, Israel was suffering increasing isolation in the Middle East, faced with neighbors not happy with Israel, as well as rising tensions with Soviet-backed Arab states.
West Germany, which was emerging as a prosperous post-war economic power and a strong ally of the United States, would be a valuable partner to Israel, both economically and in providing political legitimacy on the international stage.
The road to diplomatic relations
One of the most significant events in Israeli-German relations before 1965 was the capture and trial of Adolf Eichmann, the leading architect of the Holocaust. In 1960, Israeli Mossad agents abducted Eichmann from Argentina and brought him back to Israel to stand trial for his role in the Holocaust.
Eichmann's trial, which received extensive media coverage, raised old wounds from the Holocaust and led to renewed animosity towards Germany amongst many Israelis. The German government was fearful that the trial would bring to light the role of the former Nazi officials who were still employed in postwar Germany. Some German government officials were concerned that Eichmann's testimony might jeopardize West Germany's standing internationally, as the "Auschwitz trial" had done in 1963.
Whatever the tensions of the Eichmann trial, by forcing Germany and Israel to confront the past, it also ushered both into a new diplomatic moment where it would be productive to move forward through dialogue.
In 1964, West Germany and Israel began secret negotiations towards diplomatic relations. Given the sensitivities at the time, both sides proceeded quietly to avoid public pushback and any geopolitical consequences. Israeli diplomat Felix Shinnar led the negotiations with German counterpart Rolf Pauls, making great efforts to alleviate concerns on both sides of the table.
The discussions included a broad range of issues, including security guarantees, economic relations, and protection for Jewish communities in Germany during the negotiations.
The establishment of diplomatic relations
On May 12, 1965, West Germany and Israel officially announced the establishment of diplomatic relations. The announcement elicited mixed reactions in both countries. In Israel, it set off a storm of debate and protests in Jerusalem and other cities. Many Israelis, particularly Holocaust survivors, felt that this was a form of betrayal of the victims or a moral compromise by the state.
The Knesset held all-day debates with opposition leaders such as Menachem Begin blasting the government. The announcement in Germany, too, faced criticism, especially from the Arab world. Several Arab states cut diplomatic relations with West Germany in response, and the Arab League announced a boycott on German goods. However, Chancellor Ludwig Erhard defended the decision, stating that West Germany had a moral and legal duty to support Israel in all its acts and that they were committed to reconciliation too.
Establishing diplomatic relations was a key moment in the evolution of Germany-Israel relations and represented a new phase in their complex history. It was the first time Germany had recognized Israel and would allow for cooperation in business and trade, cooperation with technology, and security cooperation.
The establishment of diplomatic relations presented a watershed moment for ties between Germany and Israel. Symbolically, it began the process of transforming the Federal Republic of Germany’s commitment to historical responsibility from reparations into something more meaningful; namely, a "special relationship" rooted in a shared history of trauma. Practically, it created opportunities for other forms of cooperation.
By 1970, trade had doubled, while cultural exchange programs like the 1966 youth program expanded the opportunities for grassroots ties. Militarily, what started as arms cooperation quickly evolved into covert intelligence sharing, which became a central basis for their modern alliance.
Nonetheless, this milestone came at a price. For Israelis, it also exacerbated social fissures, as survivors felt as if their pain was being bartered for the sake of politics. For West Germans, while the Arab boycott caused strains on an economy which was still in recovery mode, it wasn't a catastrophe; Germany had faltered postwar but rallied. The Hallstein Doctrine, which had been dented by the crisis, began to show signs of crumbling and indicated that Bonn's foreign policy was not as fixed as it had been before.
Importantly, 1965 redefined the relationship's narrative. Where 1952 was about money for the necessities, 1965 was about recognition and legitimacy on both sides. It forced both sides to view their future. For Germany, the onus was to show that it had changed; for Israel, it was to reconcile memory with rational pragmatism.
The stakes were raised even further given the Cold War context: West Germany's selection of Israel over Arab neutrality emphasized its western moorings and afforded Israel a European anchoring while it remained isolated regionally.
source: tehrantimes.com