The Embassy of Germany & The Embassy of Israel - Washington DC
June 02, 2005

Joint Press Release:

German Ambassador Ischinger and Israeli Ambassador Ayalon Celebrate Diplomatic Milestone with Former US Secretary of State Kissinger as Special Guest

German Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger and Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon hosted a concert and reception on May 31 at the German Ambassador's Residence to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel. Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State, was a guest of honor at the event and spoke about the significance of relations between Germany and Israel over the years and for the future.

The event took place on the same day that Israeli President Moshe Katsav spoke before the German Bundestag in Berlin in honor of the anniversary.

There are few other post-war developments in German foreign policy of which Germans can be as proud as of the good bilateral relations between Germany and Israel, Ambassador Ischinger said. "Today, after 40 years, Israel knows that Germany is a friend, in both good times and bad," he said in opening remarks. "I am proud of what has been achieved, by Israelis and Germans together, over the past four decades. And I would like to add that without the help and the support, both moral and political, of so many Americans, this relationship would not and could not have flourished."

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Ayalon spoke of both celebrating the anniversary and remembering the past. "We do celebrate today forgiving without forgetting. We do celebrate today the future without neglecting the past. We do celebrate today hope, despite the past. And we do celebrate today a very strong and close relationship between the people of Israel and the people of Germany," Ambassador Ayalon said. "We can say without hesitation that Germany is among the best friends Israel has."

Dr. Kissinger said the occasion was a very moving one for him, "as a Jew born in Germany and having been connected to the fate of both countries for so much of my life." Having known every Israeli leader since David Ben Gurion and every German leader over the past decades, Dr. Kissinger was in a position to see how importantly leaders in both countries viewed the relationship. "While there are many disagreements in both countries, the relationship between Israel and Germany has not been controversial," Dr. Kissinger said. "Especially in Germany, I can testify to the fact that every leader that I have known has supported that relationship, not simply as a matter of prudence, but as a matter of inner necessity, as a responsibility that Germany has, not only to Jewish people, but also to itself."

For the concert, the Israeli-German duo of Vered Reznik on piano and Alfred Koessel on cello performed works by the German and Israeli composers Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Ben-Haim.

Above : Ambassdors & Kissinger (courtesy of German Embassy photo by Victor Holt)