David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s former Prime Minister, today greeted the forthcoming establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and West Germany, declaring “I am for reconciliation with Germany because one cannot undo the past.” His statement on the new developments in Bonn-Jerusalem relations appeared in an interview in DerSplegel, the mass circulation, illustrated German weekly.
“I believe,” he continued, “that, today, there is a Germany different from the one of the past. I do not believe the Nazis could return in Germany today. Of course, I could never forget what happened, because it happened to my own family–since all Jews are one big family. Neither I, nor anybody else, can forget what happened to 6,000,000 Jews. But that is past, and others are living today, and they are not Nazis but people like ourselves.” He emphasized that he favors not only reconciliation between the State of Israel and the German Government but also rapprochement between the Israeli people and the German people.
Asked what Germany’s best contribution could be toward Israel’s security, he replied: “In my opinion, arms deliveries,” He noted that the West German Government is not inclined to accept that opinion, but he reiterated his own view on the subject, emphasizing that he was speaking “as a private citizen” and not as a representative of the Israel Government, of which he is not a member, nor even on behalf of any Israeli political party.
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