The Poisoned Congratulations of German Know-It-Alls
 

From one of my favourite German commentators, Henryk "Biting tongue" Broder:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...551856,00.html

I am not happy with the historical circumstances by which Israel was founded, but now, two generations later, I realistically and fully accept it's right to exist, for the past cannot be changed without commiting even more and greater unrest, trouble and conflict, and trying to do so only would be possible to do harm to another generation of people who did not even exist when Israel was founded and thus cannot be held responsible for past events. Thinking like that is the smallest I have to do - for I insist myself, too, not to be held responsible for the events 20-30 years before I was born. For the same reason, I recommend the Palestinians to come to terms, finally, two generations later, and to accept Israel (most Palistinians living today did not exist in the late 40s, too) - which is precondtion for their own situation imporving, too.

Israel has become 60. Happy birthday! :yep:

I still don't understand why we are celebrating the "birthday" of Israel now. I thought it was on 14 May 48 that the Jewish state was "declared"?