Despite Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's strong calls for
German troops to be included in an expanded international force to
be deployed in south Lebanon, Germany remains cautious on the
issue.
?
For many, the presence of German soldiers along the Israeli border
would be loaded with too much symbolism and would raise moral
problems.?????
Fierce debate
"I have informed Chancellor Angela Merkel that we have
absolutely no problem having German troops in South Lebanon,"
Olmert told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung over the
weekend.
The Israeli prime minister says German troops will be "part of
the force that defends Israel."
Olmert's remarks have sparked a fierce debate across Germany
about the country's possible military involvement along the
Israeli-Lebanese border after the Nazis killed about 6 million Jews
in World War II.
Merkel has rejected any immediate deployment of troops. "We as
Germans should approach this region with the greatest caution," she
warns.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier admitted that talks
about Germany's military involvement in the Middle East were being
treated with great sensitivity.
"I think this is appropriate given the difficult shared history
between Germany and Israel," Steinmeier told German broadcaster
ZDF.
Deputy Foreign Minister Gernot Erler ruled out a direct military
involvement by German troops "for purely historical reasons."
In an interview with German daily Die Welt, Erler said
German troops should not be involved in fighting Israeli troops
given its Nazi past.
On the possible participation of German soldiers in the
international force in south Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post
said there was opposition in the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
However, analysts say the world, notably Israel, may have seen
Germany differently over 60 years after Germany's persecution of
Europe's Jews.?????
A brand-new relationship
"There is at the moment no nation that is behaving in a more
friendly way toward Israel than Germany," Olmert told the
Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily.
"If Germany can contribute to the security of the Israeli
people, that would be a worthwhile task for your country. I would
be very happy if Germany participated," he said.
Steinmeier, who was on a peace mission visit to Israel,
described Olmert's statement as "a striking indication of
trust."
Olmert's wish to see German peacekeepers in the Middle East was
a "noteworthy proof of trust" and one which made apparent "the
extraordinarily good development between Israel and Germany in the
past decades," Steinmeier said.
Indeed, Germany has gone out of its way to show it is a friend
of Israel.
Berlin has repeatedly underscored the Jewish state's right to
exist and its right to self-defense since the conflict between
Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah broke out nearly a month ago.
It has avoided directly criticizing Israel although heavy death
toll among Lebanese civilians has drawn fierce international
condemnation.
It has called for a ceasefire "as quickly as possible" rather
than immediately.
Analysts say Germany appears to be backing the US and British
position that Hezbollah must be weakened.
Others see Germany's move as part of Merkel's efforts to warm
relations with the White House that was strained under her
predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, who vigorously opposed the US-led
war against Iraq.?????
Not until a UN mandate
Nevertheless, the debate on Germany's military involvement in
the Middle East is too early given that there's still no UN mandate
or framework for an international peacekeeping force in the
region.
?
"We can not yet answer the question" of whether German solders
might join the much anticipated peacekeeping forces in the Middle
East, Steinmeier said. "We would need more clear information on the
mandate of such a mission."
But something is clear. For Germany, sending troops abroad is
nothing new as Germany is already involved in several international
operations, most notably in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung has said that if both Israel
and Lebanon and the international community requested German
participation, it would be difficult for Berlin to decline.
Considering the sensitivity brought by Germany's Nazi past,
Merkel has pointed to alternatives to a military contribution in
the Middle East, such as help in training the Lebanese police and
army.
?
Others suggested German troops could help in logistical matters or
prevent the influx of weapons into northern Lebanon from Syria.
"There is a whole series of tasks that Germany can take on in
the framework of international efforts for a sustainable, peaceful
solution," Merkel said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2006)
