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NIE WIEDER HOLOCAUST - OBAMA IN BUCHENWALD...
"The only significant segment of the world's population which has unfortunately learned nothing from the Holocaust is the jihadists, who brazenly seek to complete Hitler and the Nazi regime's diabolic plan to annihilate the Jewish people.
The President of the United States should therefore come away from a visit to Buchenwald more staunchly than ever determined not to allow the genocidist extremists in Teheran to acquire the capability to do so."
Dr. Efraim Zuroff
Director, Simon Wiesenthal Center-Israel Office Chief Nazi-Hunter, SWC Worldwide
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TEIL 1 – Offener Brief des Koordinierungsrats deutscher Nicht-Regierungs-organisationen gegen Antisemitismus, der Jüdischen Gemeinde zu Berlin und des Jüdischen Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus an Präsident Obama...
Presseerklärung vom 4. Juni 2009
Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus und das antisemitische Regime im Iran
Der Koordinierungsrat deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus, die Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin und das Jüdische Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus haben an Präsident Obama einen gemeinsamen offenen Brief (siehe nachfolgend) zu seinem Besuch in Buchenwald am 5. Juni 2009 gerichtet. Sie treten darin für einen entschiedenen Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus und das antisemitische Regime im Iran ein.
Auszüge (deutsche Übersetzung):
„Ihr hoch geachteter Amtsvorgänger Franklin D. Roosevelt führte im 2. Weltkrieg die Vereinigten Staaten zum Sieg über die antisemitischen Mächte. Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass Sie, in Anknüpfung an das Roosevelt-Vermächtnis, auf das Sie sich in der amerikanischen Innenpolitik beziehen, ebenso dessen Entschlossenheit teilen, auch in der Außenpolitik eine führende Rolle im Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus und für die Menschenrechte zu spielen.“
„Antisemitismus, einschließlich des israelfeindlichen Antisemitismus, ist aber in Deutschland, in Europa, in den USA und im Nahen Osten nach wie vor eine bedrückende Realität. … Rechtsextremisten verbreiten antisemitische und andere rassistische Propaganda, verharmlosen den Nazi-Terror in den Konzentrationslagern und leugnen die Einzigartigkeit des Holocaust. Darüber hinaus sind antisemitische Stereotypbilder und Diskriminierungspositionen gegenüber Israelis sowie die Bereitschaft, Israel als Staat zu diffamieren, in beträchtlichen Teilen der europäischen Gesellschaften anzutreffen.“
„Die Streitkräfte der Vereinigten Staaten haben einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Befreiung von der NS-Herrschaft in Deutschland und Europa geleistet. Wir bitten Sie, in dieser großen amerikanischen Tradition auch den neuen Gefahren für die Menschheit und die Demokratie entschieden entgegen zu treten, die vor allem von der Islamischen Republik Iran ausgehen. Eine atomar bewaffnete Islamische Republik Iran würde nicht nur den Nahen Osten destabilisieren. Sie würde alle Kräfte stärken, die in unserer Zeit gegen die Menschenrechte und die Demokratie kämpfen.
Koordinierungsrat deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus
Pressesprecher: Daniel Kilpert, M.A. · Herthastr. 5 · 13184 Berlin· Tel.: (030) 69 81 83 76 · E-Mail: kilpert@...
(zu Mitgliedern, Vorstand und Pressesprechern siehe nachfolgend)
Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin · Oranienburger Str. 28-31 ·10117 Berlin
Vorsitzende: Lala Süsskind · Tel.: (030) 880 28-232 · Fax (030) 880 28-250 · E-Mail: vorstand@...
Jüdisches Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus· Oranienburger Str. 28-31 ·10117 Berlin
Vorsitzender:
Levi Salomon · Tel.: (030) 880 28-357 · Fax (030) 880 28-250 · E-Mail: levi.salomon@...
Deutsche Übersetzung:
OFFENER BRIEF ZUM BESUCH DES PRÄSIDENTEN DER VEREINIGTEN STAATEN BARAK OBAMA IN BUCHENWALD AM 5. JUNI 2009
Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident,
die unterzeichneten, im Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus engagierten Organisationen begrüßen Sie in Deutschland und wünschen Ihnen einen angenehmen Aufenthalt in unserem Land. Zu unseren Organisationen gehören der Koordinierungsrat deutscher Nicht-Regierungs-organisationen gegen Antisemitismus, die Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin und das Jüdische Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus.
1945 haben sowjetische Truppen Auschwitz und amerikanische Truppen Buchenwald befreit. Ihr Onkel war an der Befreiung des Buchenwald-Teillagers Ohrdruf beteiligt. Er hat Ihnen von den erschreckenden Erlebnissen in Ohrdruf erzählt. Ihr hoch geachteter Amtsvorgänger Franklin D. Roosevelt führte im 2. Weltkrieg die Vereinigten Staaten zum Sieg über die antisemitischen Mächte. Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass Sie, in Anknüpfung an das Roosevelt-Vermächtnis, auf das Sie sich in der amerikanischen Innenpolitik beziehen, ebenso dessen Entschlossenheit teilen, auch in der Außenpolitik eine führende Rolle im Kampf gegen den Antisemitismus und für die Menschenrechte zu spielen.
Nach dem Holocaust hätte die Welt erwarten dürfen, dass antisemitische Positionen und Handlungen, wie dies heute etwa für die Rechtfertigung und Praktizierung von Sklaverei gilt, als Verirrungen und Verbrechen der Vergangenheit angesehen werden können. Antisemitismus, einschließlich des israelfeindlichen Antisemitismus, ist aber in Deutschland, in Europa, in den USA und im Nahen Osten nach wie vor eine bedrückende Realität. Antisemitische Strömungen werden auf bestimmten Gebieten sogar stärker. Rechtsextremisten verbreiten antisemitische und andere rassistische Propaganda, verharmlosen den Nazi-Terror in den Konzentrationslagern und leugnen die Einzigartigkeit des Holocaust. Darüber hinaus sind antisemitische Stereotypbilder und Diskriminierungspositionen gegenüber Israelis sowie die Bereitschaft, Israel als Staat zu diffamieren, in beträchtlichen Teilen der europäischen Gesellschaften anzutreffen.
Im Nahen Osten ist berechtigte oder zumindest vertretbare Kritik an israelischen Regierungen oft mit antisemitischem Hass auf Israel verbunden, das als „kollektiver Jude“ behandelt wird. Antisemitische Schulbücher, weit verbreitete Hetzschriften, Medienberichte und Fernsehsendungen sind dafür ein Beleg. Für die Bemühungen um einen dauerhaften Frieden ist eine derartige Propaganda ein großes Hindernis, für dessen Überwindung vielfältige politische Anstrengungen notwendig sind, die in den meisten Fällen noch nicht einmal aufgenommen wurden. Eine besondere Gefahr stellen in diesem Zusammenhang die antisemitischen, gegen Israel gerichteten Vernichtungsdrohungen der Islamischen Republik Iran dar. Diese „Republik“ leugnet nicht nur durch den amtierenden Präsidenten Ahmadinedschad den Holocaust, diffamiert und dämonisiert in antisemitischer Weise Israel, unterdrückt und verfolgt religiöse Minderheiten und Frauen, richtet auf barbarische Weise Homosexuelle und „Ehenbrecherinnen“ öffentlich hin, exportiert Terrorismus u. a. durch die antisemitische Terrororganisation Hisbollah und verletzt auch auf andere Weise elementare Menschenrechte sowie internationale Konventionen, z. B. die UN-Konvention zur Verhinderung und Bestrafung von Völkermord.
Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident, die Streitkräfte der Vereinigten Staaten haben einen entscheidenden Beitrag zur Befreiung von der NS-Herrschaft in Deutschland und Europa geleistet. Wir bitten Sie, in dieser großen amerikanischen Tradition auch den neuen Gefahren für die Menschheit und die Demokratie entschieden entgegen zu treten, die vor allem von der Islamischen Republik Iran ausgehen. Eine atomar bewaffnete Islamische Republik Iran würde nicht nur den Nahen Osten destabilisieren. Sie würde alle Kräfte stärken, die in unserer Zeit gegen die Menschenrechte und die Demokratie kämpfen.
Hochachtungsvoll
Für den Vorstand des Koordinierungsrats deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus, c/o Daniel Kilpert, Herthastr. 5, 13184 Berlin
Prof. Dr. Diethard Pallaschke
Klaus Faber , Staatssekretär a. D.. Sacha StawskiFür die Jüdische Gemeinde zu Berlin, Oranienburger Str.28-30, 10117 Berlin
Lala Süsskind
Für das Jüdische Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus,
Oranienburger Str. 28-30, 10117 BerlinLevi Salomon
Englischer Originaltext:
OPEN LETTER to the President of the
United States of America Barack Obama ON THE OCCASION OF HIS VISIT TOon June 5, 2009 BUCHENWALD ,GERMANY Mr. President,
The undersigned organizations which are committed to fighting anti-Semitism, welcome you in
and wish you a pleasant visit. Our organizations include the Coordination Council of German NGO's against Anti-Semitism; the organization of the Jewish Community of Berlin; and the Jewish Forum for Democracy and against Anti-Semitism. Germany In 1945, the Soviet Army liberated
Auschwitz and the Army of the United States Buchenwald. Your uncle participated in the liberation of Ohrdruf, a camp affiliated to theBuchenwald concentration camp. He has told you about the horrifying experiences in Ohrdruf. Your most esteemed predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, led theto victory against the forces of anti-Semitism in World War II. We are confident that you, who have evoked United States Roosevelt 's memory in domestic policy, will also share his determination to play a leading role in the fight against anti-Semitism and for human rights in foreign affairs as well.After the Holocaust the world could have expected that anti-Semiti c thinking and acts would be regarded as aberrations and crimes of the past, in the same way that today we reject the old justifications and implementation of slavery. But anti-Semitism, including anti-Semitic
Israel hatred, is still a depressing reality inGermany , in Europe, in theUnited States , and in theMiddle East . Anti-Semitic trends even increase in some areas. Right-wing extremists increasingly invoke anti-Semitic and other racist propaganda, while they downplay the terror of the Nazi concentration camps and the singularity of the Holocaust. But the problem doesn’t stop there. Anti-Semitic stereotypes and discrimination against Israelis, and the defamation ofas a state, is present in considerable segments of contemporary European societies. Israel In the Middle East justified or at least reasonable criticism of the governments of
Israel often merges with anti-Semitic hatred directed againstas a “collective Jew”. This trend is documented by anti-Semitic school books, widely circulated inflammatory pamphlets, media reports and TV shows. Such propaganda poses a major obstacle to the efforts for a permanent peace. The obstacle can only be overcome by manifold political activities, which in most cases have not even been initiated, yet. In this context the anti-Semitic threats of annihilation against Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran pose a special danger. This “republic” denies the Holocaust (a problem not limited to the current president Ahmadinejad); defames and demonises Israel in an anti-Semitic manner; oppresses and persecutes religious minorities and women; executes homosexuals and “adulteresses” publicly in a barbaric procedure; exports terrorism e. g. via the anti-Semitic terror organization Hezbollah; and also violates by other means basic human rights as well as international conventions, such as the UN-convention on the prohibition and punishment of genocide. Israel Mr. President, the US Armed Forces made a decisive contribution to the liberation of
Germany andEurope from Nazi domination. We ask you, in this great American tradition of defending democracy, also to firmly oppose the new dangers for humanity and democracy, especially posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. A nuclear armed Islamic Republic of Iran would not only destabilize theMiddle East . It would also strengthen all those forces that fight against human rights and democracy in our time.Yours sincerely
On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Coordination Council of German Non-Governmental Organizations against Anti-Semitism, c/o Daniel Kilpert, Herthastr. 5, 13184
Berlin Prof. Dr. Diethard Pallaschke
Klaus Faber , Secretary of State ret. Sacha StawskiOn Behalf of the organization of the Jewish Community of Berlin,
Oranienburger Str.28-30, 10117Berlin Lala Süsskind
On Behalf of the Jewish Forum for Democracy and against Anti-Semitism,
Oranienburger Str. 28-30, 10117Berlin Levi Salomon
Anhang
Koordinierungsrat deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus
Der Koordinierungsrat deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus ist am 16. Juni 2007 von Organisationen, Einrichtungen und Personen gegründet worden, die sich in der Antisemitismusbekämpfung engagieren. Ihm gehören Christen, Juden und Muslime sowie Menschen mit einer anderen Glaubens- oder ohne eine entsprechende Orientierung an. Der Koordinierungsrat wendet sich gegen alle Formen von Antisemitismus, auch gegen den neuen, israelfeindlichen Antisemitismus. Von Anfang an hat er einen regelmäßigen Bericht der Bundesregierung mit einer entsprechenden Antisemitismusbeschreibung und zur Antisemitismusbekämpfung gefordert. Der Beschluss des Bundestags vom 4. November 2008 entspricht dieser Forderung.
Jedes Jahr lädt der Koordinierungsrat zu einer öffentlichen Konferenz deutscher Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen gegen Antisemitismus ein. Schwerpunktthemen waren auf der letzten Konferenz vom 24. November 2008 mit über 120 Teilnehmern u. a. die Anti-Durban-II-Kampagne und die Aktionen gegen die atomare Aufrüstung der antisemitischen Islamischen Republik Iran. Zum Dachverband Koordinierungsrat zählen die folgenden 20 Mitgliedsverbände und Organisationsvertreter:
Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum für europäisch-jüdische Studien an der Universität Potsdam, Prof. Dr. Julius H. Schoeps, Prof. Dr. Lars Rensmann, MMZ-Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Amadeu-Antonio-Stiftung, Stiftungsvorstandsvorsitzende:
Anetta Kahane , BerlinClaudia Korenke, Vizepräsidentin der Deutsch-Israelischen Gesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main
Daniel Kilpert M.A., Stellvertretender Bundesvorsitzender des Deutsch-Israelischen Jugendforums, Berlin
Honestly Concerned e.V., Präsident und Chefredakteur: Sacha Stawski (MBA), Frankfurt am Main
Wissenschaftsforum der Sozialdemokratie in Berlin, Brandenburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Geschäftsführender Vorsitzender: Staatssekretär a.D.
Klaus Faber , RA, PotsdamScholars for Peace in the Middle East, SPME-Germany, e.V., Berlin, Sprecher des Vorstandes: Prof. Dr. Diethard Pallaschke, Erste Stellvertreterin des Sprechers des Vorstandes: Dr. Elvira Grözinger
Initiative 9. November 1938, Abraham Dzialowski, Frankfurt am Main
Demokratie & Courage, Till Meyer, M.A.,
Potsdam Mohammed Schams,
Berlin , Senior Advisor IFI (Iranian Freedom Institute),Washington D.C. Rosemarie Matuschek, Erik-Verlag, Berlin
Robin Stoller, Internationales Institut für Bildung, Sozial- und Antisemitismusforschung (IIBSA), London/Berlin
Peter Wirkner, Wissenschaftlicher Direktor, M.A., Mitarbeiter von MdB Prof. Gert Weisskirchen, Mannheim
Alexander Arndt, M.A., Editor-in-Chief /Online-Redakteur,
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs,Berlin Interessengemeinschaft Gehörloser Jüdischer Abstammung in Deutschland e.V. (IGJAD), Hamburg,
Vorsitzender: Mark Zaurov, M.A.Jüdisches Berlin/Jewish Berlin Online, Herausgeber: Dr. Rafael Korenzecher, Berlin
Yad Achat e.V., Vorstand: Andreas Koch, Berlin
Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Berlin und Potsdam,
Vorsitzender: Jochen Feilcke, BerlinPro-Israel-Initiative "neveragain", Vorsitzender: Roger Bückert, Wilnsdorf
WIZO Deutschland e.V., Women's International Zionist Organisation, Präsidentin: Rachel Singer,
Politische Referentin: Margitta Neuwald-Golling, Frankfurt am Main/KölnVorstandsmitglieder:
Klaus Faber,Anetta Kahane , Daniel Kilpert, Diethard Pallaschke, Mohammed Schams,
Julius H. Schoeps, Sacha StawskiPressesprecher:
Daniel Kilpert, Herthastr. 5, 131184, Tel.: 030 69818376, E-mail: kilpert@... Berlin
Till Meyer, Alexander Arndt
TEIL 2 - Obama to Visit
Obama to Visit Buchenwald Concentration Camp Friday
Presidents Emphasized Holocaust in Historic Speech to Arab world as Iranian President Says Holocaust a "Big Deception"
THE
June 4, 2009
German/English-speaking Experts on Israeli-German Relations
TIP's Press Kit for President Obama's Trip to Germany
TIP’s Press Kit for President Obama’s Trip to Cairo
Twelve Ways to Prevent Iran from Acquiring Weapons without War
As Obama Visits Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Culture of Hate Persists
A day before his visit to Buchenwald, one of Nazi Germany’s largest concentration camps, Obama emphasized the importance of recognizing and remembering the Holocaust and condemned those who refuse to recognize that: “Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of
Two days before President Barack Obama’s landmark visit to the concentration camp, [1] Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated his denial of the Holocaust, calling it a “big deception.” [2]
“The identity of the liberal democracy has been exposed to the world by its protection of the most criminal regime in the history of humanity, the Zionist regime, by using the big deception of the Holocaust,” Ahmadinejad told a gathering of 600 international scholars in Tehran June 3.
Obama will travel to
The Nazis killed about 56,000 prisoners at Buchenwald – one of the Nazis’ largest concentration camps [6] – before
Obama’s final stop in
“As President Obama commemorates the Holocaust, we look forward to his continued work to make sure there’s not a future Holocaust caused by
Holocaust-denial and anti-Israel statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
• “The identity of the liberal democracy has been exposed to the world by its protection of the most criminal regime in the history of humanity, the Zionist regime, by using the big deception of the Holocaust.” [12] (June 3, 2009)
• ”The West has created a situation of false pity for itself and is using it to oppress other nations… We attacked the issue of the Holocaust and even they didn’t believe such a thing occurred, because we attacked their main weak point.” [13] (May 28, 2009)
• "A brief review of the events after World War II shows that the Holocaust issue - with the dimensions they define for it - is an excuse to continue dominance and expansion of influence of the victors, especially America and Britain in the international arena." [14] (Jan. 28, 2009)
• "After the Second World War, they created a scenario called 'pogrom against Jews.' All over
• "
• "Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces.... Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: Is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of
• "
Contact:
www.theisraelproject.org
Footnotes:
[1] Sweet, Lynn, “Obama at Buchenwald concentration camp; U.S. Holocaust Museum upcoming Chicago programs,” Chicago Sun-Times, June 3, 2009, http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/06/obama_at_buchenwald_concentrat.html
[2] “Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a ‘big deception,” AFP, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i33Vai0UH84v7P645PZYWTCNmj0w
[3] “Once war-torn Dresden gears up for Obama visit,” DPA via Khaleej Times Online, June 3, 2009, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/June/international_June225.xml§ion=international
[4] “Merkel to accompany Obama on visit to concentration camp in Germany,” DPA via Haaretz, May 31, 2009, http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1089248.html
[5] “US President Obama Meets Old Europe Against Backdrop Of WWII Sites,” AFP, June 3, 2009, http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200906030539dowjonesdjonline000433&title=us-president-obama-meets-old-europe-against-backdrop-of-wwii-sites
[6] “Buchenwald,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005198, accessed June 3, 2009
[7] Eddy, Melissa and Wiesigel, Jochen, “President visits camp linked to great-uncle's past,” Associated Press, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQuoldGERuJx8odWnzg_pAI5krXQD98J4CMO0
[8] “Merkel to accompany Obama on visit to concentration camp in Germany,” DPA via Haaretz, May 31, 2009, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1089248.html
[9] “Ohrdruf,” Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006131, accessed June 3, 2009
[10] “Buchenwald,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005198, accessed June 3, 2009
[11] Shear, Michael D., “Obama's Middle East Trip a Balancing Act,” The Washington Post, June 2, 2009, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/06/02/obamas_middle_east_trip_a_bala.html?wprss=44
[12] “Ahmadinejad says Holocaust a ‘big deception,” Agence France-Presse, June 3, 2009, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i33Vai0UH84v7P645PZYWTCNmj0w
[13] Cohen, Dudi: „Iran: Holocaust is West’s Achilles’ heel,“ YnetNews, May 28, 2009, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3723051,00.html
[14] “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/NR/exeres/AE96E291-9DA7-4148-AF14-273A06174A7B,DB7611A2-02CD-43AF-8147-649E26813571,frameless.htm
[15] “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_4
[16] “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_5
[17] “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_6
[18] “Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his Own Words,“ Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org/main_International_Affairs/ahmadinejad_words.htm?Multi_page_sections=sHeading_6
German/English-speaking experts on Israeli-German relations
In
Dr. Matthias Küntzel
Author, political scientist based in
Tel: +49-(0)4533-204533
E-mail: MatKuentzel@...
Web site: http://matthiaskuentzel.de
Expertise: Threat of Islamic Fundamentalism and
Bio: Matthias Küntzel (b. 1955) is a political scientist and noted author. His most recent book, "Jihad and Jew-Hatred: Islamism, Nazism and the Roots of 9/11," was the grand prize winner at the 2007 London Book Festival. In 2004, Küntzel was named a research associate at the prestigious Vidal Sassoon International Centre for the Study of Antisemitism (SICSA) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in 2006, he joined the board of directors of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). His essays have been published in more than 10 countries in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Il Foglio (
Ilan Mor
Deputy Chief of Mission
Israeli Embassy
Tel.: +49-(0)170-7582203
E-mail: ministry@...
Aaron Sagui
Speaker
Israeli Embassy
Tel.: +49-(0)170-7582244
E-mail: press@...
Stephan Kramer
General Secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany / Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland
Tel: +49-(30)2844560
Fax: +49-(30)28445613
E-mail: sjkramer@...
Klaus Faber
Secretary of State (ret.); Lawyer; Founding Member of the Board of Directors in the Coordination Council of German NGO’s Against Anti-Semitism
Tel: +49-(33)1-624551
Fax: +49-(33)1-6004035
E-mail: Klaus_Faber@...
Claudia Korenke
Vice-President, German Israeli Friendship Society / Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft; President, German-Israeli Economic Society (Frankfurt); Board Member, Coordinating Council of German NGOs Against Anti-Semitism
Tel: +49-(69)97585614
E-mail: claudia.korenke@...
Sacha Stawski
President and Editor-in-Chief, Honestly Concerned e.V.; Founding Board Member, Coordinating Council of German NGOs Against Anti-Semitism
Tel.: +49-(17)2-6797701
Fax: +49-(72)1-151433263
E-mail: sstawski@...
Deidre Berger
Director
American Jewish Committee Berlin Office/Ramer Center for German-Jewish Relations
Tel: +49-30-22 65 94 0 (x11)
Fax: +49-30-22 65 94 14
E-mail: BergerD@...
Dr. Yves Pallade
Director of the Foreign Affairs Network of B'nai B'rith Europe
Tel: +32-2-6469298
Fax: +32-2-6468949
E-mail: yvespallade@...
Expertise: Israeli-German security and military cooperation, public opinion und media - mutual perception, political relations
Dr. h.c. Johannes Gerster
President, German-Israeli Friendship League
Tel: +49-(0)6131-227962 (office); +49-(0)177-7572083 (cell)
Fax: +49-(0)6131-226090
E-mail: j.gerster@...
Expertise: Israeli-German relations, 60 years Israel - 60 years democracy, Middle East conflict
Dr. Martin Kloke
Tel: +49-(0)30-851-9565; +49-(0)30-89785-8375
E-mail: martinkloke@...
Expertise: Left-wing ideology in Germany and its attitude towards Israel, Israeli-German relations
Barbara Kraemer
Contact, Coordination Center for Israeli-German Youth Exchange
Tel: +49-(0)3491-4202 60
E-mail: barbara.kraemer@...
Expertise: Youth exchange, Israeli-German relations
Patrick Müller
TAPIR Fellow, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
Tel: +49-(0)30-880 07-419
Fax: +49-(0)30-880 07-5415
E-mail: Patrick.Mueller@...
Expertise: Middle East conflict, European and German policy in Middle East, Barcelona process
Prof. Dr. Manfred Lämmer
Institute for History of Sport, Deutsche Sporthochschule Cologne
Tel: +49-(0)221-4982-3830
Fax: +49-(0)221-4982-8470
E-mail: Laemmer@..., info@...
Expertise: Sport in Jewish history and culture, rule of sport in Israeli-German relations
Marianne Krüger-Jungnickel
Executive Director, Deutsche Technion-Gesellschaft e.V.
Tel: +49-(0)30-88 55 44 04
E-mail: krueger@...
Expertise: Israeli-German sciences cooperation
Prof. Dr. Diethard Pallaschke
Spokesperson for the Board of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, SPME-Germany, e.V., Berlin
E-mail: lh09@...
In Israel:
Shimon Stein
Former Israeli Ambassador to Germany
Tel: +972-52-8515621
E-mail: shimonstein@...
Dr. Lars Hänsel
Tel: +972-(0)2-567 18 30
Fax: +972-(0)2-567 18 31
E-mail: office@...
Expertise: Israeli-German relations in politics and culture
Prof. Jose Brunner
Tel: +972-(0)3-6409731
E-mail: joseb@...
Expertise: Compensation for Holocaust-survivors
Grisha Alroi-Arloser
Executive Director, Israeli-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Tel: +972-(0)3-6133516
Cell: +972-(0)54-5788969
E-mail: alroi@...
Expertise: Israeli-German business ties
Dr. Ruti Eitan
Prof. for Modern History, Sapir College Sderot
Tel: +972-(0)54-6755278
E-mail: ruthe@...
Expertise: Israeli-German science cooperation
Ilana Lowi
Ministry of Science and Technology
Tel: +972-(0)50-6231183
E-mail: ilana@...
Expertise: Israeli-German science cooperation
Dvorah Ben-David
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Israel
Phone: +972-(0)50-6203195
Expertise: Cultural exchange between Israel and Germany
David Witzthum
Chief Editor, Channel 1
Tel: +972-(0)2-530 1160 (office); +972-(0)50-895 951 (cell)
Expertise: Israeli-German relations, media coverage
In the
Dr. Maren Lorenz
Research Fellow, German Historic Institute
Tel: +1-202-552 8946
E-mail: lorenz@...
Expertise: Israeli-German relations in education, Holocaust, history, war and violence
TEIL 3 - Die Obama Rede im Wortlaut...
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Die Obama Rede im Wortlaut
A New Beginning
I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt’s advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt.
I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.
We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.
Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Violent extremists have exploited these tensions in a small but potent minority of Muslims. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights. This has bred more fear and mistrust.
So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity.
This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.
I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
I do so recognizing that change cannot happen overnight. No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point.
But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.”
That is what I will try to do – to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.
Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I am a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.
As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was Islam – at places like Al-Azhar University – that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed.
Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.
I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America’s story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President John Adams wrote, "The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims."
And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States. They have fought in our wars, served in government, stood for civil rights, started businesses, taught at our Universities, excelled in our sports arenas, won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building, and lit the Olympic Torch. And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers – Thomas Jefferson – kept in his personal library.
So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed.
That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.
But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.
The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words – within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."
Much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President. But my personal story is not so unique. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores – that includes nearly seven million American Muslims in our country today who enjoy incomes and education that are higher than average.
Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one’s religion.
That is why there is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders.
That is why the U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it.
So let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations – to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God.
These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.
Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task.
Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead; and if we understand that the challenges we face are shared, and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.
For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. And when innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century.
That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings.
This is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes subjugating one another to serve their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.
So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared.
That does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. Indeed, it suggests the opposite: we must face these tensions squarely.
And so in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together.
The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms.
In Ankara, I made clear that America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people.
The situation in Afghanistan demonstrates America’s goals, and our need to work together. Over seven years ago, the United States pursued al Qaeda and the Taliban with broad international support. We did not go by choice, we went because of necessity. I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11. But let us be clear: al Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on that day.
The victims were innocent men, women and children from America and many other nations who had done nothing to harm anybody. And yet Al Qaeda chose to ruthlessly murder these people, claimed credit for the attack, and even now states their determination to kill on a massive scale. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.
Make no mistake: we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We seek no military bases there. It is agonizing for America to lose our young men and women. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict. We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.
That’s why we’re partnering with a coalition of forty-six countries. And despite the costs involved, America’s commitment will not weaken.
Indeed, none of us should tolerate these extremists. They have killed in many countries. They have killed people of different faiths – more than any other, they have killed Muslims. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam. The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind. The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few. Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism – it is an important part of promoting peace.
We also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
That is why we plan to invest $1.5 billion each year over the next five years to partner with Pakistanis to build schools and hospitals, roads and businesses, and hundreds of millions to help those who have been displaced. And that is why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend upon.
Let me also address the issue of Iraq. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq was a war of choice that provoked strong differences in my country and around the world. Although I believe that the Iraqi people are ultimately better off without the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, I also believe that events in Iraq have reminded America of the need to use diplomacy and build international consensus to resolve our problems whenever possible. Indeed, we can recall the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said: “I hope that our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us that the less we
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