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An American Jewish German News & Information Digest

edubow@optonline.net

AMERICAN EDITION

June 15, 2010

Dear Friends:

For the last couple of weeks the U.S. media has been consumed with the Gulf oil
leak and, to a lesser degree, at least for a few days, the Gaza blockade incident.
The Jewish community has been focused largely on the latter. Not so in
Germany. While Gaza splashed across the headlines, the Germans were much
more involved in thinking about Chancellor Merkels fiscal austerity plan and the
fact that their President decided to resign (Yes! He just up and quit). In addition,
the Defense Minister opened a discussion about doing away with compulsory
military service (A big change!). The Gulf leak is page 7 but since the Germans
are very ecology minded it may become something theyre interested in one of
these days but not yet. They have other things on their mind.

Chancellor Merkel, after making a statement about Gaza (see below), seemed to
retreat from the issue happy to leave it in the hands of the EU foreign affairs
people who seem to want to take a much more involved role in opening up Gaza
to increased trade, etc. Click here to read more about it.
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=178138

I, personally, have been consumed by getting through another birthday (Im


getting old), getting my computer fixed (its also old ) and participating in a local
political convention (Im a committeeman). However, my first responsibility is to
you my readers so lets get on to the news. But before I do, on the subject of
consumption (not the TB variety), the Germans, as of this weekend, are now, as
most people around the world (except in the U.S.), totally consumed with the
World Cup soccer matches. Nothing unites them quite as much as Fussball.

IN THIS EDITION

GERMANY & GAZA How they reacted and what they said.

TURKEY What game are they playing?

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THE GERMAN PRESIDENCY The President resigns. How come?

THE SUCCESSOR Who will be the next guy in the door?

A NEO-NAZI MERGER Trash plus garbage equals a neo-Nazi merger.

MARCEL REICH-RANICKI A most unusual German Jew turns 90.

GERMANY & GAZA

All in all I think the official German government reaction to the Gaza episode was
what I would term moderate even though DW-World termed the Chancellors
reaction as strongly worded. They said, In an unusually strongly worded
statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office said Israel's response to
the ships was disproportionate.

"Every German government has always recognized and supported the right of
Israel to defend itself, but this right must of course be within the boundaries of
proportionality," Merkel's spokesman said. "At first glance it does not look like
this basic rule was adhered to."

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said he was "deeply concerned


about the events last night in the waters off Gaza... these are disconcerting initial
reports." French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said "nothing can justify" the
violence.

DPA, the German news agency reported, German Chancellor Angela Merkel on
Monday joined the international chorus of demands for Israel to end its four-year
blockade of Gaza after at least nine activists were killed by Israeli troops
boarding a flotilla trying to deliver humanitarian supplies.

Several left-wing members of the German Parliament were aboard one of the
ships trying to reach Gaza. They were not injured, the German Foreign Ministry
said. At least three other Germans had joined the international activists on board
the six ships that were stopped by Israel.

In a telephone call after the Monday morning incident, Merkel said she had urged
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift the blockade on 'humanitarian
grounds.'

By and large, I would rate the German reaction as one that would be expected
from them. No more, no less. Given their pacifism, the fact that they have a large
Turkish population, that they are an EU country but have a genuine bond with
Israel, they said about as much as they could.

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Later in the week, there were large anti-Israel demonstrations including a 2500
person one in Hamburg. Click here to read a report. 2500 does not seem to me
to be a gigantic turnout. http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100605-27657.html

In perusing the German media it seems to me that the government and the
people have too many other things on their minds to give much time and energy
over to the Gaza situation. They need a new President (see below), the Euro and
Euro zone seem to be in trouble, the Government seems weakened and the
economy is having problems. Gaza is not No.1 on their agenda. They see it as a
trouble spot but they cant really do anything directly about it and they have too
much else on their plate to concern them. So they made the usual statements
and are hoping that the U.S. will do something to clean it up.

TURKEY

(Note: This article is copied from todays Germany Edition of DuBow Digest. It is
not specifically about Germany However since Josef Joffe is German (and
Jewish) and makes a lot of sense in his evaluation of Turkeys political moves; I
thought I should include it.)

A question on the minds of many here in the American Jewish community is,
What sort of responsibility does Turkey bear for what happened during the Gaza
blockade running event? Until recently Turkey was seen as one of Israels allies,
perhaps, the only Muslim country that seemed to have a real working relationship
with Israel. In the last year or two there seemed to be a little bit of friction as
Turkeys government took a harder Islamic line with the Erdogan government but
it did not seem to threaten the working arrangements between the two countries.
Much of that was put into question by what happened on the sea off the Gaza
coast.

Germanys own Josef Joffe has one answer. He wrote in the Financial Times,
But let us look beyond the Mavi Marmara. Though Israelis and Palestinians get
most of the limelight, much of the script is written elsewhere. The newest entrant
in the larger drama is Turkey, where the flotilla was financed and put to sea.
Ankaras fierce response to the incident was a rallying cry to the region.

Next to Iran, Nato member Turkey is now the biggest headache for the west.
With Egypt sinking into torpor and Riyadh firmly ensconced on the fence
between Washington and Tehran, Turkey has seen the leadership of the region
up for grabs and is going for it. It has drawn Syria into its orbit and has reached
a nuclear deal with Iran, its rival for hegemony.

What better way to pursue this end than to lead a crusade against the Jewish
state? Going after the Little Satan is the card that trumps them all, and it
embarrasses the Great Satan to boot. The real game is about dominance at the

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expense of America, which US President Barack Obama has yet to grasp.
Neither has Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister. Sailing into the Turkish
trap was a blunder worthy of General Custer at Little Big Horn.

Joffe might be right and what he has to say might explain Turkeys role. In the
aftermath, Israel has to live in the same neighborhood as Turkey so their
reaction might be muted. However, I dont believe American Jews will be so
forgiving. And, since were talking about unhappiness with Turkey, the Jerusalem
Post reports that President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority is not thrilled
either. They wrote, The Palestinian Authority is concerned about Turkeys
increased support for Hamas, a PA official in Ramallah said on Monday.

The official said that the PA leadership was unhappy with Turkeys policy
toward Hamas, especially with regard to pressure to lift the blockade on the
Gaza Strip unconditionally. Turkeys policy is emboldening Hamas and
undermining the Palestinian Authority, the official told The Jerusalem Post.

Of course we want to see the blockade lifted, but Hamas must also end its coup
in the Gaza Strip and accept an Egyptian proposal for achieving reconciliation
with Fatah.

Elements of the Turkish press see the danger of Turkeys involvement in the
Gaza matter and its relationship with the IHH, the sponsor of the blockade
runners. The Daily News & Economic Review, which bills itself as Turkeys
English Daily featured an interesting article which you can read by clicking here.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=much-to-ponder-for-turkey-and-israel-
once-the-dust-settles-2010-06-07

THE GERMAN PRESIDENCY

Without any warning, German President Horst Koehler resigned his post without
any kind of an explanation. It took everyone, including Chancellor Merkel, by
surprise. Spiegel-Online noted, He (Koehler) quit Monday after a barrage of
criticism over a remark he made to German troops in Afghanistan. This new
crisis is an unwelcome fresh test of leadership for Merkel, who still seems wobbly
after her response to the euro crisis.

Khler's comments in Afghanistan seemed to conflate German economic


interests with its military missions abroad. "Military deployments are necessary ...
when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence
our trade, jobs and incomes," he said in a radio interview.

The remark went unnoticed for a few days. But late last week, criticism from both
the opposition and from within Merkel's coalition became intense. Still, Khler's
resignation was widely seen as an overreaction and the press has blasted him

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for his thin skin.

Most observers in Germany accept the thin skin explanation and in only a few
days Koehler was yesterdays agenda. He was quickly forgotten and the media
(as well as the citizenry) moved to a discussion of who his successor would be.

The President is not selected in a general election. A special Federal


Convention made up of all the Bundestag members plus an equal number of
participants appointed by the States is called together. The Federal Convention
is scheduled to vote on the new president June 30. The assembly is made up of
1,244 state and federal lawmakers, and Merkel's coalition has a majority.

The role of the German president is largely ceremonial, although the president
does sign off on legislation and is seen as a figurehead on national issues. More
than that, however, he (or she) is supposed to be non-political and address the
nation on important moral issues. In that respect the President is an important
player on those issues of importance to the Jewish community in Germany and,
indeed, worldwide. I must say honestly, Pres. Koehler did not fulfill that role very
well. He presented a Presidential medal to a Jewish woman whose came via her
vocal criticisms of Israel. The medal presentation caused a firestorm of protest
but Koehler went through with it anyway. In his Afghanistan speech he got
himself into politics, a place that was not seem appropriate for him. Thus the
criticism, the lack of support from his own party, and, therefore, his resignation.
My own feeling is that Pres. Koehler is not a politician but an economist. I dont
think he really liked the job. In spite of the fact that the position is non-political it
takes a very good politician to fill it successfully. Koehlers predecessors,
Presidents Rau and Herzog were genuine moral giants and excellent politicians
as well.

THE SUCCESSOR

So, now that we know a non-political position is all wrapped up in politics,


whose politics will prevail? Since the CDU/CSU parties have a majority in the
Federal Convention the answer should be clear whoever the two parties decide
on. However, we also know that nothing, especially political decisions, since they
are made (usually) by human beings, are ever arrived at easily.

The party honchos met and it appeared that Chancellor Merkel had a candidate.
According to Spiegel-Online Just two days after the surprise resignation of
German President Horst Khler on Monday, a clear front-runner for the largely
ceremonial role of German president seemed to emerge. And in many ways, she
resembled Angela Merkel: Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen is an ambitious
Christian Democrat with an academic background in science, a strong-willed but
moderate conservative on social issues. She's also, of course, a woman,
meaning Germany began Thursday with the prospect of two women at the
summit of power -- an unprecedented notion not just for the Federal Republic but

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for modern Europe.

However

But by mid-day, there was a new front-runner, Lower Saxony Governor Christian
Wulff. He also hails from the center-left Christian Democrats, and, given the
opposition to a von der Leyen candidacy that had emerged within the CDU, told
Merkel that he would make himself available. Two German TV stations reported
before noon on Thursday that von der Leyen had dropped out of consideration.

This new crisis (was) an unwelcome fresh test of leadership for Merkel, who still
seems wobbly after her response to the euro crisis.

Christian Wulff was quickly accepted by the Chancellor (with an obviously


weakened position) and it appeared that he would be a shoo-in for the job. More
on that in a moment. Wulff, unlike Koehler, is a very seasoned politician. You can
click here to read more about him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Wulff

While I personally, nor AJC institutionally, would want to take any credit for
Minister President (Governor) Wulffs political ascent, he was, indeed, a
participant in the AJC Konrad Adenauer Exchange Program in 1984. Our
alumni are moving up.

Wulffs candidacy should be the end of the story but it isnt. The SPD and the
Greens, in spite of not having anything close to a majority, also decided to field a
candidate. They could not have picked a better one. (Joachim) Gauck, reports
The Local, who has been nominated by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and
the Greens, enjoys cross-party affection and respect he was a civil rights
activist in East Germany and was the first administrator of the communist
country's secret police files after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

He is considered an upstanding, moral man whose work enabled those spied


upon by the East German secret service to see their files. He has said he would
be happy to be president but would not campaign for the job.

A few elements in the both the CDU and the FDP have come out for Gauck so
the election of Wulff is not (to quote former CIA Director George Tenet) a slam
dunk.

My guess is that the political lines will hold and that Christian Wulff will become
Germanys next President. However, stay tuned! Ill let you know what happens.

A NEO-NAZI MERGER

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When you merge trash with garbage you get something called a neo-Nazi
political party. Same product. Same foul smell.

The Local reports Germanys two main neo-Nazi parties are considering a
merger in an apparent bid to turn around their flagging political fortunes, a media
report said Friday

The National Democratic Party (NPD) and the German Peoples Union (DVU)
are sounding out their members about a possible merger, sources at the NPDs
party conference in Bamberg told daily Tagesspiegel.

Both parties are facing dire problems with falling membership and financial
struggles, particularly the DVU, which probably needs the merger to avoid
oblivion, the paper reported.

According to the domestic intelligence service, the Bundesamt fr


Verfassungsschutz, the NPD has about 6,800 members and the DVU about
4,500.

At the beginning of 2005, the parties had formed a loose alliance called the
Deutschlandpakt, but the NPD dissolved this about a year ago. The NPD ran in
the state election in Brandenburg in September last year, and helped drive the
DVU to its worst ever electoral drubbing.

Neither party ended up clearing the 5 percent hurdle needed to win seats in the
parliament. The DVU had not recovered from this blow, the paper said.

The NPD has had electoral success in some state parliaments and holds seats
in Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, though it has gone backwards
in recent elections.

It was fined 2.5 million for funding irregularities last year. There have also been
periodic calls to ban the party, with the latest being led by Bavarian Interior
Minister Joachim Herrmann.

You should note that neither party ever reached the 5% of the vote to be able to
get a Bundestag seat. The likelihood is that they wont any time soon or,
perhaps, ever. However, with 10,000 members they are not a zero. Should we
worry? Well, I worry about everything but this new merger is not yet high up on
the worry scale. Yet, I keep thinking about the small and insignificant Nazi Party
in the 1920s. So, I worry.

MARCEL REICH-RANICKI

I doubt seriously that many of you know who Marcel Reich-Ranicki is or have
ever heard of him. There is no reason that you should. After all, he is a German,

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who writes in German mostly for a German newspaper and was host of a
German book review TV program. However, if you were a German or lived in
Germany you would know this Jewish intellectual icon that has been called, The
Pope of German letters. Why even mention him now? He has just turned 90 and
his long life is being celebrated in Germany.

According to DW-World, Reich-Ranicki is Germany's best known literary critic.


His long career and definitive pronouncements have earned him the irreverent
nickname "the pope of German letters." On June 2, he turns 90. Marcel Reich-
Ranicki was in charge of the literature section of the national newspaper
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in the 1970s, and hosted the television book
discussion program "Literary Quartet" throughout the 1990's.

These and many other public appearances where he freely made his
pronouncements on German books and writing have made him one of
Germany's best-known cultural critics.

Reich-Ranicki, who is celebrating his 90th birthday on June 2, is also one of just
a handful of Jewish public figures in Germany to resettle in the country after
having survived World War II. Born in 1920 in Wloclawek, Poland, the future
critic attended high school in Berlin. Because he was Jewish, he was denied
entry to the university.

After being deported to Poland, Reich-Ranicki was able to flee the Warsaw
Ghetto with his wife, Tosia. In 1958, he returned to Germany and dedicated
himself to the study of German language and literature - and saw an opening for
himself in the world of German letters.

His appearances as the head critic on television's "Literary Quartet" between


1988 and 2001 brought Reich-Ranicki to the small screen some 77 times -
automatically launching him to the top of Germany's lit-crit pop cultural heap.

He has stayed there ever since. Read the entire story by clicking here
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5638722,00.html.

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See you again at the end of the month.

DuBow Digest is written and published by Eugene DuBow who can be contacted at
edubow@optonline.net Both the American and Germany editions are also posted on line at
www.dubowdigest.typepad.com.

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