Dear Chancellor Merkel,

Dear Helmut,

I am so glad to greet you because of your unforgettable role in overcoming – not forgetting – the greatest tragedy that our two peoples ever faced. In my eyes, you are a great historic architect, an unbelievable healer of human relations, and a bridge-builder with unmatched achievements.

As an architect, you really united Europe in fact. I believe that Chancellor Adenauer was the first who understood that Germany had to return and be accepted by the West, by its civilization – and his wisdom opened up the doors for a different future of Germany and the relations with other peoples, and particularly the Jewish people.

Then there were two persons that understood this should be extended politically: One was Brandt who wanted to improve the relations with the East, and the other you that used the experience of Adenauer, the contrivance of Adenauer, and the tact of Brandt really to build a new Germany. It wasn’t simple. Maybe the greatest demanding piece of architecture was to unite Germany.

If Germany would remain divided, Europe would never unite. And I know how difficult it was to unite the two Germanys into one Germany – and a different Germany. The cost was high, and the criticism was long. But you believed there was no Germany or no Europe that doesn’t really bless you for that great attempt – in dealing with the Russians, in dealing with the West, in dealing with the German people – to make from these two Germanys of hatred one Germany of hope, of difference.

Then I think, again: In many ways you were the architect of the united Europe – by patience, by energy, by unbelievable optimism. You were never a Chancellor of questions, you always were a Chancellor of answers. And whenever you met a difficulty, you overflew it. And the famous conclusion was that for the world, for the peace of the world, for the future of Europe, it’s better to have a European Germany than a German Europe. You did it. And despite all the problems, we cannot imagine the face of history without this unified Europe – despite all the problems that still exist. It was a basic change in the history of modern age. So you were not a product of history, you really produced history in that sense.

Then for me, naturally, the greatest problem was not just political, and not just statesmanlike, it was a moral story: the relations between Germany and Israel. You must understand this very day, when each of us mentions Germany, we cannot forget the tragedy. There were occasions, and there were many people here that thought that this cannot be healed, it’s a break without a future. Chancellor Adenauer, then the other Chancellors, and you – and may I add: Mrs. Merkel now – made a tremendous, tremendous spiritual and moral effort to bridge the unbridgeable and to help the Jewish State, which is already the only answer to our tragedy, to come to itself, to build a state, to look to the future; and to understand that while we don’t forget the past we shouldn’t overlook the future.

And now there is a different Germany, a different Europe, a different history, a different youth, and a different Jewish people. I took part in many of those attempts; so I can witness that on many occasions all the major players thought it’s impossible. You, Helmut, when you hear the word „impossible“, you know it’s a call of an opportunity and not a desperation of the difficulties.

Sixteen years you served your country with great energy, optimism, natural wisdom, never giving up – neither hope nor strength, nor future. And what you did belongs already to a new history that you have participated in, if not headed to introduce it. None of us will ever forget your unbelievable contribution – and also your special contribution, in addition to what I have said, to Israel: making a better place for Israel in Europe, building a new relationship between the Federal Germany and ourselves, paying attention to the youth, to the peace, to the science, referring to a galopping future with its full speed, leading us to new horizons and new shores.

I really bless you from the depth of my heart, and I think you gave us an occasion to be more hopeful and to welcome the future as the greatest compensator for a difficult past.

God bless you.