Germany and Israel – a Historical Asymmetry
Tuesday 8 December 19:45 until 21:00
New North London Synagogue, 80 East End Road, London N3 2SY
Speaker: Prof Moshe Zimmerman (Richard M.Koebner Professor of German History, Director of the Koebner Centre)
Part of the series: 2nd Peter Straus Memorial Lecture
German-Israeli diplomatic relations were established half a century ago. What characterizes the relations between Germany and Israel is a manifold asymmetry – two states that pretend to represent past entities - the German Reich on the one hand and the Jewish people on the other hand; the heirs of the perpetrators vis-a-vis the heirs of the victims. On the one hand a society that learned to hate soldiers and wars and on the other hand a society that worships its soldiers and believes in war. And the most surprising asymmetry – the asymmetry of public opinion. Over time the Israelis have come to like the Germans more and more whereas the Germans show less and less understanding and sympathy for Israel.
By: Diana Franklin
Last updated: Friday, 6 November 2015