Merkel’s government is ‘undermining solidarity with Israel’
‘Germany strengthens Israel's enemies at the UN,’ says rep to combat antisemitism
By BENJAMIN WEINTHALUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a joint news conference after a Normandy-format summit in Paris, France December 10, 2019. (photo credit: CHARLES PLATIAU / REUTERS)Germany has an anti-Israel bias at the United Nations, according to Uwe Becker, the commissioner to combat antisemitism in the German state of Hesse.Following Germany’s abstention last week at the UN on an anti-Israel resolution, he told The Jerusalem Post: “Even in times of rapprochement between Israel and the Arab states, interested countries continue their smear theater at the United Nations and once again pillory the Jewish state. Now there must be an end to the ducking away. Germany’s abstention only strengthens Israel’s enemies at the UN and weakens the efforts for peace in the region.”“I am very disappointed about Germany’s vote after a new resolution on the alleged violations of women’s rights by Israel,” said Becker, who is also president of the Germany-Israel Friendship Association.“Germany is undermining solidarity with Israel if it does not finally take a clear and unequivocal stand at the United Nations against the politically staged permanent condemnation of Israel,” he added. “Neutrality is inappropriate when the moral verdict of guilt is passed on Israel.”Becker is widely considered the most forceful German political advocate for the security of the State of Israel.“Attitude and backbone are required, not passivity and diplomatic kowtowing,” he said. “If, at the end of a vote, Israel is the only country in the world accused of violating women’s rights, and countries decide to do so where women have virtually no rights, then the German side should finally wake up.”The UN Economic and Social Council’s resolution accused Israel of restricting the human rights of women in the disputed Palestinian territories.The resolution completely distorts Israel’s policy and “is being used to create populist sentiment against the Jewish state,” Becker said. “It is not Israel that decides on the rights of women in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, but the Palestinian leaders there. Hamas and Fatah also bear the main responsibility for the economic and social situation on the ground.”“The fact that Europe was only sitting on the spectator’s bench during the recent rapprochement between Israel and individual Arab states also has its reasons in the weak and faceless policy of the EU at the United Nations,” he said. “If Germany remains passive, Europe will remain on the spectator’s bench. I expect clear initiatives from the German presidency of the Council of the EU for a stronger solidarity of Europe towards Israel at the UN.”Frank Müller-Rosentritt, an MP for the Free Democratic Party in the Bundestag, tweeted: “An inglorious tradition continues! Once again Israel is explicitly condemned, while the conditions in other countries are consistently ignored. Double standards & Federal Government abstains!”German Green Party foreign-policy spokesman Omid Nouripour declined to respond to a Post query about Becker’s criticism. He is on the advisory board of a group that promotes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. The Bundestag classified BDS as antisemitic. German Jewish leaders and Becker have urged Nouripour to resign from the reportedly antisemitic BDS group.“Germany opposes unfair treatment of Israel in the United Nations,” the German Foreign Ministry told the Post by email on Thursday. “This applies to all UN bodies, including ECOSOC. As in the previous year, Germany abstained from the resolution mentioned by Mr. Becker.”
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