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deep respect and gratitude" those few who stood by their Jewish
fellow citizens by hiding them or helping them to escape.
The Chancellor urged the young not to be self-righteous. "Peo–
ple today . . . are not better or more courageous than people were
then." Today they live under the rule of law and are spared the dif–
ficult dilemmas created by the Third Reich. This should encourage
modesty, gratitude for living in a free democracy, and constant vigi–
lance against the threat of totalitarian rule. As unique as the geno–
cide of the EuropeanJews by the Germans was, it was essential to be
vigilant so that nothing similar would happen again. Identification
with the victims was demanded of a just, pluralistic society today.
As for German history, Kohl saw it as "indivisible" in con–
taining both good and evil. He stressed solidarity with Israel's secur–
ity and life interests, recalled the contributions ofJews to Germany's
traditions of freedom, and pointed to a future, free, pluralistic,
peaceful, post-nationalistic Europe based on the values ofJews and
Christians. We Germans, he said, "must overcome the idea that
Jews stand on the margin of Western history. The contrary is the
case. Their place is in the middle of the great traditions, which have
shaped the political cultures of Europe and America." In many coun–
tries, Jews stood in the forefront of the struggle for human and civil
rights, for pluralism and rule of law. National Socialism was an at–
tack on this European culture.
Jews and Christians shared the conviction of the uniqueness
and dignity of the individual created in the image of God, and the
idea that human beings are entrusted with God's creation to preserve
and further shape it. They both rejected idolatry that in modern
form had led to absolute claims of ideologies. Kohl said:
Because Judaism is, in its essence, antitotalitarian, totalitarian–
ism is, as Manes Sperber once wrote, "everywhere anti-Jewish."
Jews and Christians are common, natural enemies in the opposi–
tion to all ideological-political claims to absolute authority. Mak–
ing as many people as possible aware of this insight is ... one of
the decisive tasks of the Christian-Jewish dialogue.
Kohl concluded :
Dear Jewish citizens! Allow me to close with a personal remark.
The fact that you live in the Federal Republic of Germany is a
sign of trust in us - and I speak now for the non-Jewish ma–
jority - this sign moves us deeply. For we have no claim to this
