“Looking at our past and the current political developments in Europe and the United States as far as Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism are concerned, there is no doubt in my mind that the Jews need Israel, besides the fact that they have every right to their own land. And that Land is Israel, also according to international law.”
- Pastor Christine Dietrich
The stormy, wet and foggy winter weather did not prevent the 12 member-strong Israel Support Mission from Germany from holding the plaque unveiling ceremony for the Pfalz Forest as planned. The new Pfalz Forest will form part of the German States Forest, which is located near Lehavim in the Negev.
The mission participants, some of whom were local politicians, represented five towns and villages in the Pfalz region of Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) from where the donations for the new forest were collected, namely: Edenkoben, Hassloch, Ludwigshafen, Mutterstadt and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse.
Judith Perl-Strasser, Director of KKL- JNF's German-Speaking Countries Desk, welcomed the group and told them that she felt honored to host them at the
German States Forest donor site.
“Your presence here cannot be taken for granted if we consider what happened in the past. Your visit is an expression of the flowering relationship that has developed between Israel and Germany. The relationship exists not only in the political realm but on a people-to-people level too. We thank you for this friendship and for your support. I must add that besides the inauguration of the new forest, today is a special day for me personally because exactly 25 years ago I came from Germany to live in Israel.” Judith’s last statement was received with a resounding clap of hands.
Leading the visiting delegation was Pastor
Christine Dietrich, who is the driving force behind the establishment of the new forest and the initiator of the trip to Israel. Dietrich, who is an avid supporter of Israel and describes herself simply as “a Zionist”, responded on behalf of the visitors:
“It is my personal opinion as a Christian that this Land was promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants. As Germans, we are aware that we have a responsibility to support Jews in their land, which was granted to them in compliance with international law. I wish to dedicate our new forest to the victims of the Holocaust. That tragedy must never be forgotten. I believe with all my heart that Israel is the land of the Jews and that we have a duty to support Israel. We are working in schools and in churches to keep awareness of the Holocaust alive. We plan to bring more and more schoolchildren to this country to witness the miracle of modern Israel and visit Yad Vashem. Our work is only just starting.”
Tal Kaizman of
JNF-KKL Germany translated the moving words for the non-German speakers in the audience.
The deputy mayor of the town of Hassloch, Tobias Meyer, delivered the keynote address:
“Our parents and grandparents left us Germans a heavy legacy. We have to accept the past and learn from it for the future. We must be alert when people are persecuted for religious or ideological reasons. We have a special responsibility for the safety and continuity of the State of Israel and we must stand up against those who want to destroy Israel.”
Members of the mission including Angelika Fesemayer, first deputy mayor of the town Edenkoben, then came up to the podium to read the names of Jews who had lived in their respective hometowns prior to the Holocaust and didn’t survive. Before the trip, each participant researched their town records to create their list. They said that it was important for them to find every single name. The names were read one after the other, followed by the fate of that particular person, such as “perished in Auschwitz”, or “murdered in Treblinka”, or “fate unknown”. It was obvious from the names that in many cases entire extended families were murdered. The name reading was clearly traumatic for some of the participants.
After the name reading, the group members stood for a minute of silence and contemplation
Christine Dietrich and Tobias Meyer then unveiled the donor plaque noting the inauguration of Part 1 of the Pfalz Forest.
Judith Perl-Strasser presented Christine Dietrich with a Pfalz Forest donor certificate. She also gave each participant a key ring displaying the three KKL-JNF colors as a reminder of their connection with KKL-JNF.
At the end of the ceremony, before departure, Pastor Dietrich told of her 2014 and 2015-trips to the Eastern Ukraine where she witnessed 2 days after the outbreak of the war in a refugee-camp that the Jewish refugees not just had to face the repercussions of the war, but also very aggressive acts of Anti-Semitism.. Witnessing these acts, she started to collect money in order to facilitate "Aliyah" to Israel of these Jews. “There was not one country in Europe that – based on their local refugee-laws - agreed to accept those Ukrainian Jews besides Israel, not France, not England, and not Germany. Israel took responsibility and brought them to safety. There is no doubt in my mind that the Jews need Israel, besides the fact that they have every right to their own land, as it has been granted to them also by International Law.”
Referring to the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who in one of his recent speeches publicly reiterated his support of the right of Israel to exist, and stated that he will take measures against Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism in France. Pastor Dietrich confirmed that she in fact is a Zionist, who as well supports Israel's right to exist and supports Israel together with KKL-JNF.