Germany honors Shai for promoting ties

“I accept the award with on the one hand gratitude and appreciation, and on the other hand reluctance and concern."

By UDI SHAHAM
MK NACHMAN SHAI receives the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from Ambassador Dr. Clemens von Goetze yesterday. (photo credit: Courtesy)
MK NACHMAN SHAI receives the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from Ambassador Dr. Clemens von Goetze yesterday.
(photo credit: Courtesy)
MK Nachman Shai (Zionist Union) on Sunday was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his “significant and meaningful input in promoting the ties between Israel and Germany.”
German Ambassador Dr. Clemens von Goetze conferred the decoration in a ceremony at his residence in Herzliya.
Before the ceremony Shai said: “I accept the award with on the one hand gratitude and appreciation, and on the other hand reluctance and concern. Like many others, I carry with me personal, family and national memories that will accompany me for the rest of my life. However, our obligation to make the world a better place concerns mainly the generations to come.”
Shai added that he is happy to be in the position of a lawmaker who can help to overcome the differences of the past. “I am happy to be a partner in bringing Israel and Germany closer and in bringing the Knesset and the Bundestag closer,” he said. “That, in order to develop the shared foundations of both nations – first and foremost democracy, human rights, the rule of law, commitment to justice and responsibility for others that transcend geographic borders.”