This cooperation started 10 years ago in the presence of the then Presidents of Germany and Israel, Prof. Dr. Roman Herzog and Mr. Ezer Weizmann. Today the cooperation focuses on the following fields:

Development of future strategies for the European Union-Israel relations

In cooperation with the Israel Foreign Ministry and the EU Commission, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Center for the Study of European Politics and Society hold joint conferences and workshops to develop ideas for future cooperation.

Support for the Bedouins in Israel

A research program is designed to provide political decision makers with material in order to create better conditions for the development of Bedouins. Furthermore, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Ben-Gurion University cooperate in a unique program which promotes the access to higher education and universities especially for Bedouin pupils. The aim of the program is to improve the level of education as well as the integration of the Bedouins in Israeli society.

Dr. Lars Hänsel, Director of the Israel Office of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, explains: “The cooperation with the Ben-Gurion University represents for us the implementation of Konrad Adenauer’s heritage, who after the Shoah, together with David Ben-Gurion, laid the foundation for the official German-Israeli relations and for the rapprochement of both nations. Adenauer is also one of the founders of the EU, which is today becoming increasingly important for Israel.”

It is planned to deepen the cooperation between Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Ben-Gurion University this year through the establishment of a “Konrad Adenauer Division for European Studies” at the Ben-Gurion University in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.