Israel is for me one of the most interesting countries in the world. In the last 20 years, I had several occasions to visit Israel either as a Member of the German Regional Parliament of the City State of Bremen with Haifa being our Twin City, or more recently as part of a citizens journey organised by the Bremen Section of the German-Israeli Society. During my visits I was always impressed by the openness, the lively public debates, open press with very controversial views, a vivid cultural landscape, successful research institutions, very good high tech companies and many open-minded people.
It was always very fruitful to talk to liberal Zionist friends especially those working at Haifa University very much engaged in opening up Haifa University to the different groups of society and especially for Arab and Druze students. My friends in Haifa belong to that part of Israeli society, which is dedicated to a two state solution.
The founding and existence of an Israeli State after the Holocaust is indisputable. Still, in European and German debates, the question whether the decision by the UN in 1948 to go for a Jewish and a Palestinian State was a right political move, is debated controversially. From my point of view, this decision and in consequence the founding of the State of Israel was the right decision. Unfortunately, the majority of the Arab States does still not accept this decision.
We are responsible to ensure that nobody puts into question the state’s security and its right to exist. For years, we call on Iran and Hamas not to put the right of Israel to exist repeatedly into question. Within Germany, we have to go against old and new anti-Semitism and the same applies to other European countries. In Bremen, my hometown, there was recently a heavy public controversy about the action to boycott Israeli products from the settlements. The German Israeli Society was very vocal on denouncing such an approach for being very close to former Nazi calls not to buy from Jews (“Kauft nicht bei Juden”). The reaction to this controversy must be clear: German society must not leave room for anti-Semitism and racism.
I strongly hope that in future Israel and Palestine will have political leaders who are ready to build a two state solution meaning that both sides are willing to move, to find compromises by changing territories, accepting human rights, minorities and free press and guarantee the security interests of both sides. So far, Hamas failed on agreeing on security demands of Israel and Israeli settlers failed on being ready to leave settlements in the West Bank.
I believe that negotiated solutions are the only viable alternative to deliver a lasting peace. Imposed or forced solutions will not work.
Helga Trüpel is Member of the European Parliament for the German Green Party, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
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