Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Chen Galili
Special KAS/TLV1 podcast episode with Gilad Halpern on the event of 60 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany and the exihibition opening "Impossible Friendship" between Adenauer and Ben-Gurion.
“To bring about reconciliation, with Israel and with the entire Jewry of the world. That was my foremost concern out of a sense of deep inner obligation, also out of the feeling that humanity owes so much to Judaism in all areas of the human spirit and in the field of religion,” emphasized Konrad Adenauer in his speech on the occasion of the award of an honorary doctorate from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot on May 3rd, 1966. Over 60 years, this has resulted in a series of connections at various levels that still characterize relations between the two countries today.
On the eve of May 12, when Germany and Israel officially established diplomatic relations in 1965, the event “60 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Germany and Israel” and the opening of the open-air exhibition “The Impossible Friendship - Konrad Adenauer and David Ben-Gurion” by artist Amit Shimoni took place in Tel Aviv. The event was initiated by the German Embassy in Israel and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Israel together with the Ben-Gurion House and celebrated the groundbreaking work of the two statesmen Konrad Adenauer and David Ben-Gurion in the context of these historic events.
In her speech, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel emphasized the wide range of civil society partnerships that have developed over the last 60 years on the basis of this rapprochement and the assumption of responsibility for the past. She particularly emphasized the role of youth exchange and dialogue with the following generations for the further development of these relationships: “Our future lies in the young.”
Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, also emphasized that the established relations should not be taken for granted and pointed to the current situation in Israel and the growing antisemitism worldwide, also in Germany. However, for him the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany after the Second World War was the “most encouraging lecture from history: If (...) this impossible friendship could become possible, then there is no problem on earth which can’t be solved.”
When the full extent of the Nazi regime's crimes became clear with its collapse in 1945, reconciliation between Germans and Jews seemed impossible for several generations. Konrad Adenauer and David Ben-Gurion did not shy away from this challenge. A first meeting between the two on March 14, 1960 in New York prepared the ground for the first steps towards rapprochement and acceptance of responsibility. However, diplomatic relations were not established until six years later.
At the opening of the event, Steffen Seibert, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Israel, emphasized the trust that has grown between the two countries since then and which must be preserved in challenging situations then and now. The pictures of the two statesmen at their meeting in Sde Boker had left a lasting impression on him: they showed “two worlds, two (...) very different journeys through this horrendous and bloody first half of the 20th century. (...) Two men who became father figures for the states they helped create - after the catastrophe and after the abyss.”
The relationship between the two statesmen went beyond political exchange and lasted a lifetime: a few months after his 90th birthday, Adenauer traveled to Israel in May 1966 and visited Ben Gurion in his private home. The exhibition aims to depict the impossible friendship between the two men in a visual and concise way.
The second part of the evening and the open-air exhibition were opened to the general public by Nelly Markman, CEO of Ben Gurion House. The exhibition will be open for several weeks on Ben Gurion Boulevard. Further information on the exhibition and its background can be found on the cooperation website: https://bg-house.org/60years/
