ID :
129081
Tue, 06/22/2010 - 11:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/129081
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Germany baffled over Israel's ongoing provocations
Berlin, June 22, IRNA -- Germany's political leadership is puzzled over how to deal with the ongoing provocations of one of its closest political allies, Israel.
The latest incident over Israel's refusal to allow the entry of a German minister into Hamas-controlled Gaza has only further strained ties between both countries since Israel's right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in spring of 2009.
Although Berlin has tried to downplay the latest row, the reaction of Germany's political elite and press has been harsh, pointing out that Israel's self-made isolation is only further deepening.
German Development Aid Minister Dirk Niebel who was blocked from touring the German-funded aid projects in Gaza, led the charge by accusing Israel of having made a "major foreign policy mistake."
Speaking on German television Saturday evening, Niebel voiced outrage at the Israeli action. "I would have wished for a clear political signal would be sent for an opening and for transparency," said Niebel, who belongs to the German Free Democratic Party (FDP).
"Sometimes the Israeli government does not make it easy for its friends to explain why it behaves the way it does," he added.
Niebel reiterated Israel's latest announcement on easing the Gaza blockade was "not sufficient" and that Israel must "now deliver" on its pledge.
Beyond that, the government in Jerusalem should be "clear about how Israel, within an international context, wants to cooperate with its friends in the future as well," said the German minister who is also the vice-president of Germany's most influential pro-Israel lobby, the German-Israeli Society.
Niebel warned the Jewish state that its policies were seriously endangering efforts to revive the stalled Mideast peace talks.
The deputy leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats' parliamentary group, Andreas Schockenhoff, stressed that Israel was only "hurting its own interests" with such moves and demanded "unfettered access" to Gaza for international guests and officials.
German-Israeli ties hit really a snag following the Zionist regime's lethal attack on the international Gaza aid flotilla which led Berlin to summon the Israeli envoy, a diplomatic act which seemed to be inconceivable in the past since Germany views itself as Israel's closest partner after the United States due to the Nazi-era killings of the Jews.
Another major source of bilateral tensions is Berlin's extradition bid of an alleged Mossad agent who is wanted for his logistic role in the Dubai assassination of a senior Hamas official in January.
Israel has reportedly pressured the Polish government to prevent the extradition of the Mossad suspect to Germany.
Polish judicial officials had stressed earlier that prosecutors were not taking politics into consideration, but were acting in accordance with procedures after Germany issued a European arrest warrant on the alleged Mossad agent.
Germany filed for the suspect's extradition after he was arrested on June 4th at Warsaw Airport.
The Hamburg-based news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the suspect's arrest was not for taking part in the Dubai murder but for aiding another agent to obtain a German passport fraudulently in the spring of 2009.
The charge for this would be spying on behalf of Mossad, the notorious Israeli intelligence service.
According to the paper, the Mossad operative applied for the passport in the name of Michael Bodenheimer at a residents' registration office in the city of Cologne, although he was not Bodenheimer.
The passport had been used by a member of the Mossad death squad to enter Dubai for the killing and quickly depart again, according to Spiegel.
Mossad killer squads had in the past, too, used German passports for secret operations although some of them had been forged, according to press reports.
Germany and Israel have a very deep military and intelligence cooperation whose details remain highly secretive to the German public.
A major political headache for officials in Berlin remains Israel's controversial settlement policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Frustrated by Israel's hardline strategy in the occupied territories, German officials have made clear that time was running out on a resolution of the Palestinian conflict.
The center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly emphasized that the expansion of Israeli settlements violated the Mideast road map which calls for a freeze of all settlement activities.
Merkel had warned that the Israeli housing plans in occupied Jerusalem were seriously undermining the Middle East peace efforts.
She labeled the Israeli action a "severe setback" for attempts to jump-start the bogged down Mideast peace process.
Reacting to Israel's ongoing provocative policies which have really riled Berlin, the German daily Mitteldeutsche Zeitung has in its latest issue summed up the dilemma for the Jewish state in these words: "The public opinion on Israel's position in the Mideast conflict has become more critical over the past years. This includes also the US and Germany. Israel has to deal with it."/end
The latest incident over Israel's refusal to allow the entry of a German minister into Hamas-controlled Gaza has only further strained ties between both countries since Israel's right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in spring of 2009.
Although Berlin has tried to downplay the latest row, the reaction of Germany's political elite and press has been harsh, pointing out that Israel's self-made isolation is only further deepening.
German Development Aid Minister Dirk Niebel who was blocked from touring the German-funded aid projects in Gaza, led the charge by accusing Israel of having made a "major foreign policy mistake."
Speaking on German television Saturday evening, Niebel voiced outrage at the Israeli action. "I would have wished for a clear political signal would be sent for an opening and for transparency," said Niebel, who belongs to the German Free Democratic Party (FDP).
"Sometimes the Israeli government does not make it easy for its friends to explain why it behaves the way it does," he added.
Niebel reiterated Israel's latest announcement on easing the Gaza blockade was "not sufficient" and that Israel must "now deliver" on its pledge.
Beyond that, the government in Jerusalem should be "clear about how Israel, within an international context, wants to cooperate with its friends in the future as well," said the German minister who is also the vice-president of Germany's most influential pro-Israel lobby, the German-Israeli Society.
Niebel warned the Jewish state that its policies were seriously endangering efforts to revive the stalled Mideast peace talks.
The deputy leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats' parliamentary group, Andreas Schockenhoff, stressed that Israel was only "hurting its own interests" with such moves and demanded "unfettered access" to Gaza for international guests and officials.
German-Israeli ties hit really a snag following the Zionist regime's lethal attack on the international Gaza aid flotilla which led Berlin to summon the Israeli envoy, a diplomatic act which seemed to be inconceivable in the past since Germany views itself as Israel's closest partner after the United States due to the Nazi-era killings of the Jews.
Another major source of bilateral tensions is Berlin's extradition bid of an alleged Mossad agent who is wanted for his logistic role in the Dubai assassination of a senior Hamas official in January.
Israel has reportedly pressured the Polish government to prevent the extradition of the Mossad suspect to Germany.
Polish judicial officials had stressed earlier that prosecutors were not taking politics into consideration, but were acting in accordance with procedures after Germany issued a European arrest warrant on the alleged Mossad agent.
Germany filed for the suspect's extradition after he was arrested on June 4th at Warsaw Airport.
The Hamburg-based news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the suspect's arrest was not for taking part in the Dubai murder but for aiding another agent to obtain a German passport fraudulently in the spring of 2009.
The charge for this would be spying on behalf of Mossad, the notorious Israeli intelligence service.
According to the paper, the Mossad operative applied for the passport in the name of Michael Bodenheimer at a residents' registration office in the city of Cologne, although he was not Bodenheimer.
The passport had been used by a member of the Mossad death squad to enter Dubai for the killing and quickly depart again, according to Spiegel.
Mossad killer squads had in the past, too, used German passports for secret operations although some of them had been forged, according to press reports.
Germany and Israel have a very deep military and intelligence cooperation whose details remain highly secretive to the German public.
A major political headache for officials in Berlin remains Israel's controversial settlement policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Frustrated by Israel's hardline strategy in the occupied territories, German officials have made clear that time was running out on a resolution of the Palestinian conflict.
The center-right government of Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly emphasized that the expansion of Israeli settlements violated the Mideast road map which calls for a freeze of all settlement activities.
Merkel had warned that the Israeli housing plans in occupied Jerusalem were seriously undermining the Middle East peace efforts.
She labeled the Israeli action a "severe setback" for attempts to jump-start the bogged down Mideast peace process.
Reacting to Israel's ongoing provocative policies which have really riled Berlin, the German daily Mitteldeutsche Zeitung has in its latest issue summed up the dilemma for the Jewish state in these words: "The public opinion on Israel's position in the Mideast conflict has become more critical over the past years. This includes also the US and Germany. Israel has to deal with it."/end
