AJC Celebrates 20 Years of "Proven Partnership" with German Armed Forces

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Dec 04, 2014, 02:16 ET

BERLIN, Dec. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC marked 20 years of its pathbreaking partnership with the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) at a momentous ceremony in Berlin.

The Wednesday evening program was highlighted by keynote addresses from German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and AJC Executive Director David Harris. More than 150 invited guests attended the milestone event, including German military officials, cabinet members, parliamentarians, ambassadors, and members of the media.

"Twenty years is a proven partnership," Minister von der Leyen told the audience. "AJC is a critical partner, as it shares our belief in the importance of freedom and security."

The Minister added: "Our stance is clear, and can be summarized in one sentence: the security of Israel is non-negotiable."

The evening also featured a panel discussion on "Germany's Role as European Peacemaker." The panelists were U.S. Ambassador to Germany John Emerson; Member of the Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter; and Dr. Gesa von Geyr, Head of the Political Division at the Ministry of Defense. Dr. Sylke Tempel, Editor in Chief of Internationale Politik, moderated the program.

"Our 'proven partnership,' to use the Minister's apt description, with the Bundeswehr emerged out of decades of engagement with the Federal Republic," said Harris. "Indeed, AJC was the first, and for many years, the only, global Jewish organization that sought to write a new chapter in German-Jewish relations against the backdrop of the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust. That decision has been validated many times over in the ensuing years. Today, Germany is an essential partner of Israel, a leader of Europe, and a pillar of the transatlantic community."

Through the AJC-Bundeswehr partnership, thousands of people on both sides of the Atlantic have been touched by interactions between German military officials and American Jews. Several Bundeswehr delegations have also visited Israel with AJC to gain a firsthand perspective of the region. One of the participants, Dirk Peddinghaus, spoke to the audience about the life-changing impact of his visit.

The celebration event highlighted a two-day AJC visit to Berlin, which also featured meetings with Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere; Deputy National Security Advisor Michael Flügger; President of the Domestic Intelligence Service Dr. Hans Georg Maassen; and fifteen Members of the Bundestag from various political parties. The AJC delegation, which included AJC Executive Council Member Kim Pimley, also met with the ambassadors to Germany from Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine.

AJC was the first global Jewish organization to re-engage with Germany after the Second World War and to establish a full-time presence in Germany in 1998. Today, the office is directed by Deidre Berger, and co-chaired by Anthony Meyer and Steven Wisch.

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SOURCE American Jewish Committee