President Shimon Peres historic speech...

... to the German Bundestag on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day is somewhat off topic for this blog, but nevertheless has resonance for all of us. Those of us born immediately after WW2 - the so called baby boomers, grew up within touchable range of war mementoes and war experiences, and this tangible proximity to "the war" has left its mark. I have just finished Ian Kershaw's Hitler biography; the 2nd volume titled Nemesis. This fascination with Nazi Germany is an effort to understand Hitler's appeal to the German people, and his pathological hatred of Jews. It is an effort too, that is countered by an inability that even now prevents me from asking my German golf partner and friend "How could this happen ? And could it ever happen again ?" Is Jew hatred on the rise as we begin to forget the past ?

"...From Konrad Adenauer, who found a common language with David Ben-Gurion, and Willy Brandt, who kneeled in memory of the Warsaw Ghetto heroes, and you, Members of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, from Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl, and other leaders, you strengthened the foundations and ties of friendship.
And institutions, financial organizations, cultural centers, intellectuals and doers, who contributed to the enrichment of these unique relations.
You, President Horst Köhler, you declared at the Knesset in Jerusalem that "the responsibility for the Holocaust is part of the German identity." We very much appreciate this.
And you, Madam Chancellor, Angela Merkel, you have conquered the hearts of our nation with your sincerity and your warmth. You said to the American Senate and House of Representatives that "an attack on Israel will equate (to) an attack on Germany." We shall not forget this...full text of the speech here...

Lest we forget indeed. H/T and thanks to Michael Phillips at ProCommerce...