History is being made in Israel with Angela Merkel’s visit. On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli time, she’ll address the Israeli govenment. She’s already visited Yad Vashem and other sites. A few MK’s are boycotting her speech.
However, not everyone at the Knesset is interested in hearing a German-language speech at Israel’s parliament. One of them is MK Arieh Eldad (National Union-NRP.) Fellow party member Yitzhak Levy also told Ynet that he will not be entering the plenum to begin with.
“It is very very difficult to hear the German language at the Knesset. We want to remind people that even though Germany certainly displays friendship towards Israel these days, we still remember what happened,” he said. “I do not want to come in and then leave, because there is no reason to hurt her personally. Therefore, I won’t come in at all.”
Likud Knesset Member Yisrael Katz said he also intends to stay away from the special session.
“I have no intention to take part in an event in the presence of German figures in light of their responsibility for the massacre of the Jewish people,” he said. “I do not intend to forgive or forget. I do not take part in any ceremony that includes the participation of a German figure.”
Another Likud MK, Limor Livnat, will also stay away from the Knesset.
One MK is a Holocaust survivor, who isn’t boycotting:
“It does not bother me at all that Merkel chose to deliver her speech in German,” Marom Shalev said. She added that she will not be present at the Knesset because of previous obligations, but said that the objection to a German-language speech is “no more than populism.”
I think that the MK’s who are boycotting are missing the real point: Angela Merkel represents the current incarnation of the nation that Hitler tried, in every way possible, to use to eliminate the Jews. He’s long since turned to ash and dust.
We’re still here.
And we have a nation.
If Hitler were in a grave, he’d be setting the record for most number of spins in a single week.
One other note: The enemy isn’t in Germany. It’s right next door, with the Holocaust-denying heirs of the Nazis in the Arab and Muslim world. Perhaps the MK’s should stop pissing around boycotting Angela Merkel’s speech, and instead, work on the current leadership to stop kowtowing to the terrorists. That would be a much more worthwhile project.
Hmmm… I don’t object to this outright, but I do think it’s still too soon. It’s within living memory.
Perhaps the MK’s should stop pissing around boycotting Angela Merkel’s speech, and instead, work on the current leadership to stop kowtowing to the terrorists. That would be a much more worthwhile project.
I say:
Bravo! If anything, the Merkel is a show of good faith from the Germans. It’s Hamas etc. that need to be the priority. Too bad the current leadership doesn’t seem to agree….