Wednesday, November 1

At 9 A.M. we entered the Library Room of Cafe Einstein, an elegant coffee shop famous for its apple strudel, and we met Israeli Ambassador Shimon Stein. For the entire hour, he tackled our challenging questions and shared with us practical advice on how to conduct diplomacy among Europeans, especially when issues such as anti-Semitism and Israel are concerned (rule #1: do not begin any conversation with either hot topic). He also asked me to say "Hello to Los Angeles for him," a code for our common friend, who informed him of my visit.

Despite his eloquence, warmth and sophistication, he faces a rising tide of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment that seems almost impossible to curb. One telling anecdote that he shared with the group was of a visit made by an Israeli diplomat to a school near the French border, where he spent the entire time debating Israel's right to exist with the students. I couldn't help but wonder: would a diplomat of any other nation be confronted by such a hostile group that wished to deny his right to self-determination?

The role of Israeli Ambassador to Germany seems extremely challenging, and I think we were all grateful that Stein has stayed for an unusually long tour of six years.

We then took a public bus to the Foreign Office, an archetype of Nazi Architecture that formerly served as the Reichsbank, and held discussions with Karsten Voigt, Coordinator for German-American Relations. He opened our meeting with a summary of the shifts in German "geo-strategy" following the Cold War's conclusion and German reunification, with an emphasis on how such shifts affect Germany's relationship with the United States. We then discussed issues such as the "War on Terror," on which there are some noticeable disagreements.

For one, his government avoids using the term "War on Terror," since those words alienate Muslims around the world. Instead, according to Voigt, the mission requires isolating terrorists from the larger community, eliminating them, and setting the foundation for democratic liberalism and civil society. I think Voigt makes a valid case to a point -- I couldn't help but wonder whether his rhetorical choice reflects German denial about the threat posed by Islamic Fundamentalism. I pray that they don't suffer an attack for them to come to that realization.

In a rebuke to the Iraq War, Voigt asserted that "the desire for democracy is a cultural achievment." How ironic! Do you think it ever ocurred to Voigt that his statement blatantly contradicts German history? Germany's first attempt at democracy, the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) was an absolute failure and led to Hitler's ascendancy. Moreover, democracy didn't take hold in Germany until the American occupation following World War II. Voigt also recommended that we engage fundamentalists in dialogue with the aim of encouraging them to denounce terrorism. Had there been time for a follow-up question, I would have asked him to point to instances when this strategy proved successful. Despite these difference, I think we share a set of values that will serve us moving forward.

Afterwards, we lunched with Voigt and his colleagues at the Foreign Office cafeteria.


Immediately following lunch we headed over to the office-building that houses members of the German Parliament, the Bundestag. In a very modern conference room that overlooked the Reichstag, Diedre Berger, Director of AJC's Berlin Office, moderated a panel discussion with MP's Ursula Heinen (CDU/CSU0, Markus Loning (FDP), and Bodo Romelow (Left Party). Although their parties have diverging platforms, these three representatives seemed unified in their support for Israel and desire to combat anti-Semitism. I should mention that Romolow has been at odds with his party for inviting Hamas representatives to Berlin (though they were refused entry to the country because of the EU travel ban on Hamas) and has taken a visible stance against Neo-Nazis, to the consternation of his family that has suffered from subsequent threats. We were impressed by their thoughtfulness and courage, and we can only hope that they gain greater influence within their parties.


One of the contributing factors to anti-Semitism is high unemployment, which is particularly prevealent in the former East Germany, which some areas experiences a one-third unemployment rate. Labor market reform is necessary, but unlikely, due to the weak coalition between Social and Christian Democrats. After the meeting, I followed-up with the most energetic and friendly of the three, Ms. Heinen, and we discussed the lacking entrepreneurial spirit in these areas and the need for greater education. Combined with unemployment, the former government's sanitized approach to the Holocaust surely contributes to the alarming levels of anti-Semitism in the region.


From there we took a coach to the Foreign Office's Academy, which trains thirty-five attaches annually in the art of diplomacy. We met with the second-year class, an exceptionally talented and educated group that represents the creme de la creme of the Foreign Office (approximately 1% are accepted after a grueling nine month application process). We mingled with them for a couple of hours on their picturesque campus, and then most of them decided to join us for a concert of the Israeli funk and-hip hop band Hadag Nachash at the Neu Synagogue. For many of the attaches, it was their first exposure to American Jews and Israeli culture, and I hope we left them with a favorable impression. After the concert, a more informal type of diplomacy took place at Berlin's fine drinking establishments, thereby concluding an exhausting and enlightening day for us all...