http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/8917

Former German minister honoured by United Jewish Appeal

By Oliver Bradley

Updated: 07/Jun/2006 16:32

BERLIN (EJP) --- Former German interior minister Otto Schily became the first non-Israeli to receive the United Jewish Appeal's Shield of Keren Hayesod last week which he was awarded in recognition of his “friendship to Israel”

The honour is bestowed upon “individuals who have been recognised for having contributed to humanitarian causes”.

Schily, who served as minister of the interior from 1998 to 2005, not only maintained an excellent relationship with Israel, but was also active in supporting Jewish communal needs throughout Germany.

[highlight]He is particularly remembered for having opened up Germany’s borders to Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union. His lenient stand on Jewish immigration significantly led to the re population of Germany’s Jewish communities – today, the world’s fastest growing, outside Israel. [/highlight]

Promoting friendship

Speaking at the awards dinner, Avi Panzer, president of Keren Hayesod’s worldwide operations, said Schily “is a friend who was able to promote friendships between cultures by turning his ideals into action.”

Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Shimon Stein, honoured Schily’s opposition towards all attempts at sentimentalising the national socialist period.

Both Stein and Panzer pointed out Schily’s unyielding cooperation on the international war on the recent war on terror.

In his acceptance speech, Schily was adamant that peace in the Middle East could only be achieved with Israel. He called on Israel’s neighbours to find ways to cooperate with each other. “Peace can only be achieved through “cooperation and mutual respect,” he said.

During the prize ceremony, Schily disclosed his vision for “a kind of economic community between Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan – modelled after the EU”.

“Perhaps Hannah Arendt’s dream for the establishment of a federation of Mediterranean States, in which Israel is also a member, will be possible,” he said.

Right wing extremism

[highlight]Schily, however, also admitted that threats to peace were not only found abroad. During his tenure as interior minister, he proposed legislation to try and stop the growth of right-wing political spectrum in its tracks.

“We must continue to go hard against all political parties that do not respect the fundamental principals of the constitution and which have shown anti-Semitic tendencies,” Schily said, in reference to his failure at banning the right-wing German National Party (NPD).

He called parties such as the NPD “enemies of the state” and hoped that his successor, Wolfgang Schaeuble, would continue where he left off. [/highlight]

Despite a recent increase in right-wing nationalism, he noted that Jewish immigration into Germany, over the last years, is sufficient proof of Germany’s democratic stability.

The United Jewish Appeal is the largest not-for-profit fundraising organisation in the world. It was founded in 1920 to finance the colonisation of Palestine. Today it funds projects in all sectors of Israeli society – especially in immigration, health, education and welfare.