The American Jewish Committee (AJC) congratulates the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel for the celebration of 50 years of the launching of diplomatic relations.
AJC is marking this occasion with numerous events in the United States, Israel, and Germany.
“The initiation and development of this relationship is one of the great historical achievements of the 21st century. Who would have thought 50 years ago, after the horrors of the Holocaust, that it was possible for Israel and Germany to cultivate such extensive political, social, and economic ties?” said Deidre Berger, Director of the AJC Berlin Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations.
German President Joachim Gauch and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin took part in an official ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries. During the official state visit, both presidents emphasized the importance of the fight against antisemitism.
Berger, who has over thirty years of experience dealing with the Germany’s relationship to Israel, added: “We salute the trailblazers of this remarkable partnership, with Ben Gurion and Konrad Adenauer leading the way. But we also wish to thank the upstanding citizens from all sectors of society, including churches, the Jewish community, and unions, who helped pave the way.”
AJC was also among the early promoters of relations between the American-Jewish community, Germany, and Israel. As early as the 1950s, AJC established contact with leaders in the German government, civil society, and the Jewish community in order to support the rebuilding of democracy.
AJC also played a critical role in the first negotiations between leaders in the Jewish community and Germany in discussions of reparations following the war.
The cultivation of German-Israeli relations remains an important component of AJC’s advocacy work. Last year, the AJC Berlin Ramer Institute initiated the trilateral dialogue program,“50/50: German-Israeli Relations – The Next 50 Years,” to strengthen relations among decision makers from Israel, Germany, and the United States. The goal of this strategic dialogue project is to discuss new parameters for the future of this partnership.
“Shared democratic values, close cultural relations, and—most importantly—shared security interests are deciding factors in this partnership. In order to secure positive relations for the future between these countries, the value of this relationship must be made more relevant to today’s generation,” emphasized Berger.
AJC offices have been organizing events in cities including New York, Boston, Miami, Berlin and, Tel Aviv to mark 50 years of German-Israeli diplomatic relations, honoring their strategic significance.
“At a time of political turmoil and changing political alliances in the Middle East, we—Germany, Israel, and the United States—need to emphasize the critical importance of democracies united by common values, together facing global threats, said Berger.
The next upcoming 50/50 event will take place in Berlin in cooperation with the Federal Academy for Security Policy on May 21- 22. The event will be opened by AJC President Stanley Bergman.
