Mayor Jochen Vogel of Munich returned today from a 12-day visit to Israel and said that “one can visit Israel as a German only with the greatest trepidation and self-consciousness.” The Socialist Mayor said that every second person he met in Israel had either been interned in Nazi concentration camps or had lost members of his family. He added that, “despite this legacy, I can only say that we were welcomed heartily wherever we went.” He was accompanied by his wife.
Discussing West German diplomatic relations with Israel and the issue of the activities of West German scientists working on weapons systems in Egypt, the Mayor said it was “understandable that people who have escaped death in German concentration camps are going to have a firm reaction to the fact that Germans are now helping to develop weapons which may be turned on them some day.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
