Minister Rejects Jewish Criticism Over Israel Comments

Strong accusations have been flying in the row between Germany's Jewish leaders and Development Minister Heidemarie Wiezcoreck-Zeul -- a staunch leftist and Social Democrat minister in the grand coalition government led by conservative leader Angela Merkel.

Wiezcoreck-Zeul raised the hackles of Germany's Jewish community earlier this week when on her return from a visit to Lebanon, she described Israel's bombing of civilian facilities there as "unacceptable." The minister in particular slammed Israel's use of cluster bombs in the region.

"I drew attention to the fact -- which all aid organizations and the UN too confirm -- that there are cluster bombs in southern Lebanon, several of which remain unexploded," Wiezcoreck-Zeul told German television station ZDF on Thursday.

The minister stressed that the cluster bombs endangered the lives of civilians and children. Wiezcoreck-Zeul has also called for a ban on the use of the bombs as well for a UN investigation into Israel’s use of them.

"Affront against Israel"

However, leaders of Germany's Central Council of Jews have accused Wiezcoreck-Zeul of stirring up anti-Semitic sentiment in the country.

Charlotte Knobloch, head of the council, which represents the country's 110,000 Jews, this week complained of a widespread anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli sentiment in Germany, saying leading politicians including Wiezcoreck-Zeul supported the feeling.

On Thursday, Salomon Korn, vice-president of the council accused Wiezcoreck-Zeul of "one-sidedness" in the Middle East conflict, saying her comments were an "affront against Israel."

Korn added that Wiezcoreck-Zeul was the first to visit a country "that works together with a terror organization." Her comments "raise the impression that Israel is the aggressor and Lebanon the victim," Korn added.

Minister: "unfounded accusations"

The minister however has vehemently rejected the criticism, saying that she's committed to Israel’s right to exist and strongly opposes anti-Semitism, and that accusations of her being biased against Jews and Israel are therefore baseless.

"During my recent visit to Beirut I was confronted with what this war has caused in the city and to the population. While I was there I stressed that everything must be done to prevent that from happening again and

that we must strongly work for peace in the region," Wiezcoreck-Zeul told Deutsche Welle. "So this is not the time to try to settle scores by leveling unfounded accusations against me."

The German government too has rejected the scathing criticism of the minister by Jewish leaders.

"It's obvious that all members of the German government, also the development minister, are aware of the special responsibility that arises from our past," government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said on Wednesday in Berlin.

Chancellor Merkel has distanced herself from the row.

"The development minister was speaking about her personal impressions and giving her own, very personal view of things," Merkel said. "This opinion is

not official government policy, let alone a position I personally share."

Merkel did however meet with Charlotte Knobloch this week for talks lasting over an hour. "Both sides stressed the good and trustworthy relationship between the Central Council of Jews," a government spokeswoman said.

"Criticism of Israel stifled"

The criticism isn't shared by all members of Germany's Jewish community either.

Evelyn Hecht-Galinski, the daughter of former renowned Jewish leader Heinz Galinski, said it amounted to a clampdown on freedom of expression.

"All criticism of Israel is being stifled by the Central Council, which makes it impossible for us ordinary Jews to express our opinions," Hecht-Galinksi said. "Anti-Semitism in Germany is not fostered by those who criticize Israel but by those who aim to prevent it. This tendency is actually responsible for conjuring up images of the ugly Israeli and meanwhile also of the ugly Jew -- a connection which worries me terribly as a German Jew."