President Rivlin began his official visit to Germany with a conversation with pupils at the Moses Mendelssohn school in Berlin, along with President Steinmeier, and then met the German defense minister and the two spoke with German soldiers who recently trained alongside IDF soldiers
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier today, Tuesday 28 January / 2 Shevat, spoke this morning with a group of students at the Jüdisches Gymnasium Moses Mendelssohn high school in Berlin. The presidents were welcomed on arrival at the school with songs including ‘Heveinu Shalom Aleichem / We Bring You Peace’ and ‘Kol Haolam Kulo Gesher Tzar Meod / The World Is A Very Narrow Bridge’ in German and Hebrew sung by students, together with the principal, the head of the Berlin Jewish community and representatives of students and parents.
In their conversation with the students, the presidents met Jewish students and non-Jewish students who asked that their children learn at the school in order to be educated in Judaism and its values.
“This historic journey symbolizes the connection between our countries, based on our tragic past and our deep friendship today,” President Rivlin said to the students at the beginning of the meeting.
President Steinmeier asked the students if they had any bad experiences at other schools because of their Jewish background, and some of them spoke of their fears and of unkindness towards them. They spoke of friends and acquaintances that had been harassed and even beaten, and a non-Jewish student spoke of how at her previous school she had been told that, because of the color of her skin, if Hitler was around she would not be alive. She added how proud she was to study at a school where she felt she belonged.
One of the students asked the presidents, “what do you think of the way Germans deal with the Holocaust and about Holocaust remembrance education in Germany?” The German president answered that historical information is not enough when it comes to Holocaust remembrance education, and that he believes it is vital to experience and visit the concentration camps, Israel and Yad Vashem.
President Rivlin added that education is the most meaningful way to ensure that the Holocaust never happens again, saying “only in this way can we ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. It is true that Israel exists and will defend itself, by itself, but education is crucial so that all people make sure that we will never allow such horrors to happen again.” The presidents talked with the students about the importance of Holocaust education as a tool in the unending war against antisemitism and racism.
President Rivlin also said that he knows Germany is committed to the fight against antisemitism, thanking the German government for what it does for ensuring the safety of the Jewish community. “Jews everywhere must be able to live a full, public and proud Jewish life without fear,” he said.
Then, the present held a working meeting with German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
He thanked the minister for Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and noted that the security-strategic cooperation between the two countries is excellent and should be deepened. The two also discussed the various challenges in the Middle East region, primarily the Iranian threat. At the end of his remarks, the president asked for Germany’s help in the claims Israel faces at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The president also raised the issue of the release of Israeli soldiers and civilians held in Gaza by Hamas. He stressed that this is primarily a humanitarian issue and that the whole world should demand their release as a reflection of the family of nations’ commitment to the issue. “It is inconceivable that Hamas, which holds the people of Gaza hostage, should so cynically use Israeli soldiers and civilians who deserve the most basic humanitarian rights,” said the president.
After their meeting, the two met with representatives of the IDF and the German armed forces who have recently been on joint training exercises in Germany. Lt Col Oded Ziman, commander of the Paratroop Brigade’s reconnaissance battalion and who commanded the joint exercise, said “as a military unit, we learned a great deal about combat and training. 80 years ago, the Jewish people lost its rights on the soil of Europe, and today our armies are fighting together to ensure that such dark episodes that cast a permanent shadow over our history will never happen again. For me and my troops, this was a moving moment. Thank you for the opportunity to be here.”
The president spoke to the soldiers, saying “in the last two weeks I have been on a historic journey with my friend President Steinmeier. We began in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, we visited Auschwitz together and we will continue to the Bundestag. This journey symbolizes the deep connection between our countries, based on our tragic shared pas and our deep friendship today.”
The president also noted, “we are deeply grateful for Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security. The cooperation between us is strong and getting stronger. Pilots of the Luftwaffe train in Israel, and Israeli paratroopers jump with their comrades in Germany. Joint exercises are important to ensure that we are ready to face present and future threats. They are also important because they allow young Israelis and Germans to build friendships. Meetings between people are crucial for the future of our relations. We are partners in the war on terror and the efforts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East. Thank you very much for what you do and for your contribution to our security.”
Later today, the president will meet with German foreign minister Heiko Mass and in the afternoon will hold a working meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
President Rivlin began his official visit to Germany with a conversation with pupils at the Moses Mendelssohn school in Berlin, along with President Steinmeier, and then met the German defense minister and the two spoke with German soldiers who recently trained alongside IDF soldiers
President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier today, Tuesday 28 January / 2 Shevat, spoke this morning with a group of students at the Jüdisches Gymnasium Moses Mendelssohn high school in Berlin. The presidents were welcomed on arrival at the school with songs including ‘Heveinu Shalom Aleichem / We Bring You Peace’ and ‘Kol Haolam Kulo Gesher Tzar Meod / The World Is A Very Narrow Bridge’ in German and Hebrew sung by students, together with the principal, the head of the Berlin Jewish community and representatives of students and parents.
In their conversation with the students, the presidents met Jewish students and non-Jewish students who asked that their children learn at the school in order to be educated in Judaism and its values.
“This historic journey symbolizes the connection between our countries, based on our tragic past and our deep friendship today,” President Rivlin said to the students at the beginning of the meeting.
President Steinmeier asked the students if they had any bad experiences at other schools because of their Jewish background, and some of them spoke of their fears and of unkindness towards them. They spoke of friends and acquaintances that had been harassed and even beaten, and a non-Jewish student spoke of how at her previous school she had been told that, because of the color of her skin, if Hitler was around she would not be alive. She added how proud she was to study at a school where she felt she belonged.
One of the students asked the presidents, “what do you think of the way Germans deal with the Holocaust and about Holocaust remembrance education in Germany?” The German president answered that historical information is not enough when it comes to Holocaust remembrance education, and that he believes it is vital to experience and visit the concentration camps, Israel and Yad Vashem.
President Rivlin added that education is the most meaningful way to ensure that the Holocaust never happens again, saying “only in this way can we ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. It is true that Israel exists and will defend itself, by itself, but education is crucial so that all people make sure that we will never allow such horrors to happen again.” The presidents talked with the students about the importance of Holocaust education as a tool in the unending war against antisemitism and racism.
President Rivlin also said that he knows Germany is committed to the fight against antisemitism, thanking the German government for what it does for ensuring the safety of the Jewish community. “Jews everywhere must be able to live a full, public and proud Jewish life without fear,” he said.
Then, the present held a working meeting with German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
He thanked the minister for Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security and noted that the security-strategic cooperation between the two countries is excellent and should be deepened. The two also discussed the various challenges in the Middle East region, primarily the Iranian threat. At the end of his remarks, the president asked for Germany’s help in the claims Israel faces at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The president also raised the issue of the release of Israeli soldiers and civilians held in Gaza by Hamas. He stressed that this is primarily a humanitarian issue and that the whole world should demand their release as a reflection of the family of nations’ commitment to the issue. “It is inconceivable that Hamas, which holds the people of Gaza hostage, should so cynically use Israeli soldiers and civilians who deserve the most basic humanitarian rights,” said the president.
After their meeting, the two met with representatives of the IDF and the German armed forces who have recently been on joint training exercises in Germany. Lt Col Oded Ziman, commander of the Paratroop Brigade’s reconnaissance battalion and who commanded the joint exercise, said “as a military unit, we learned a great deal about combat and training. 80 years ago, the Jewish people lost its rights on the soil of Europe, and today our armies are fighting together to ensure that such dark episodes that cast a permanent shadow over our history will never happen again. For me and my troops, this was a moving moment. Thank you for the opportunity to be here.”
The president spoke to the soldiers, saying “in the last two weeks I have been on a historic journey with my friend President Steinmeier. We began in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, we visited Auschwitz together and we will continue to the Bundestag. This journey symbolizes the deep connection between our countries, based on our tragic shared pas and our deep friendship today.”
The president also noted, “we are deeply grateful for Germany’s commitment to Israel’s security. The cooperation between us is strong and getting stronger. Pilots of the Luftwaffe train in Israel, and Israeli paratroopers jump with their comrades in Germany. Joint exercises are important to ensure that we are ready to face present and future threats. They are also important because they allow young Israelis and Germans to build friendships. Meetings between people are crucial for the future of our relations. We are partners in the war on terror and the efforts to bring stability and peace to the Middle East. Thank you very much for what you do and for your contribution to our security.”
Later today, the president will meet with German foreign minister Heiko Mass and in the afternoon will hold a working meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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