ONE reason why Israel continues to behave like a scofflaw with impunity is the diplomatic support extended by the US and Germany. Washington backs Tel Aviv for two reasons. One, Israel, like America, is a nation founded on territories that belonged to another people — Native Indians in the case of US and Palestinians with regard to Israel. The second is that American politicians and administrations, whatever the party label, fear the awesome power of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. There is a fear factor underlying the German attitude to Israel too — the fear of being dubbed anti-Semite if any government or politician criticizes Israel even slightly, however unforgivable its transgression. The argument runs like this: Hitler led to the annihilation of some 6 million Jews. This happened during the reign of terror unleashed by his Nazi party. But no party, however efficient, can kill such vast numbers of people without mass support. So, German as a whole, Nazi or not, were responsible for the killing of Jews. In fact, ordinary Germans were “Hitler's Willing Executioners,” as Daniel Jonah Goldhagen's title of the book on the subject suggests. Germany, therefore, needs to tread carefully when it comes to Israel unless it wants to be reminded of its Nazi past. Criticizing Israel amounts to continuation of Nazi crimes against Jews by other means. Germans have always been critical of or suspicious about Israel holding their country to ransom for the Nazi crimes. Given the nature of the regime, how was it possible, they ask, for ordinary citizens to oppose Nazi policies. In democratic Israel, general public is overwhelmingly supporting their government's policies including the blockade and frequent bombing of Gaza, invasion of Lebanon, incarcerating thousands of innocent Palestinians including women and children, targeted killing of Palestinian leaders, stealing of their land and imposing restrictions on the movement of Palestinians through a network of checkpoints. So who are “the willing executioners”, Germans ask. There are encouraging signs that Chancellor Angela Merkel's administration is readjusting its Israeli policy in tune with evolving popular sentiment. Berlin knows how the growing discord over the peace process is deepening Israel's isolation in Europe. Last week at the UN General Assembly, Germany joined 40 other nations in abstaining from a vote on upgrading the status of Palestinians to nonmember observer state. Germany has also voiced displeasure over Israel's controversial settlement plans on land that Palestinian seek for their state. The plan could bisect West Bank and cut Palestinians off from Jerusalem, their would-be capital. Although Germany stopped short of summoning the Israeli ambassador to register protest following other European nations, the message was unequivocal: When it comes to Israel, Germany wishes to be just like any other nation – exercising its judgment based on the rights and wrongs of a case even if Israel happens to be a party to the dispute. The German-Israeli relationship can no longer be built on notions of guilt and redemption. Theodor Herzl (1860-1904), modern Zionism's founder, recognized that anti-Semitism would further his cause, the creation of a separate state for Jews. Israel knows harping on anti-Jewish prejudices in Europe, with focus on Germany, would further its cause of gobbling up the historic Palestine in its entirety. Sooner Germany realizes this, the better for everybody concerned, Israel included.
