German upper house marks 60 years of diplomatic ties with Israel
The close and friendly relations between the two countries today cannot be taken for granted given Germany's responsibility for the murder of Jews during the Shoah, according to the draft resolution.
The minister for federal and European affairs of the state of Hesse, Manfred Pentz, called the step at the time "a miracle of reconciliation," saying it "shows the greatness of which human forgiveness is capable."
Diplomatic ties were formally established on May 12, 1965, following an agreement between Germany's then-chancellor Ludwig Erhard and Israeli prime minister Levi Eshkol.
The move came after a gradual rapprochement following the atrocities carried out during the Holocaust, during which Nazi Germany murdered some 6 million Jews.
In the following decades, Germany and Israel have built a close network of political, economic, military, scientific and cultural cooperation.
To mark the diplomatic milestone, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier received his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog in Berlin earlier this month, and repaid the honour with a subsequent two-day visit to Israel.
The anniversary comes at a time of strained relations. Germany has expressed concern over Israel's military operations in Gaza, which have resulted in high civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Israel, in turn, has voiced alarm over what it sees as rising anti-Semitism in Germany.
Bundesrat President Anke Rehlinger, addressing the chamber on Friday, noted that sympathy for the people of Gaza was not incompatible with a commitment to Israel.
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