Israel – In the first years after Israel’s inception, the four years that preceded the signing of the reparation agreement with Germany in 1952, the young state maintained no diplomatic ties with the country that perpetrated the Holocaust and there was an official ban on purchasing German-made products.
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As the active objection to the agreement gradually subsided, and the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1965, German products began to appear on shelves in Israeli stores.
Simultaneously another phenomenon began to emerge in the country, of Israelis exercising their own private boycott of products made in Germany.
A study published by Prof. Moshe Zimmerman in 1997 found that religious people were more likely to harbor negative feelings towards Germany and refrain from buying German products
But not only religious people still uphold the boycott. Several years ago fans of the Beitar Yerushalayim soccer team protested the club’s decision to enter a sponsorship agreement with the Adidas company, although its products were in fact made in China.
In November 1992 then Education Minister Shulamit Aloni called for an economic-cultural-touristic boycott of Germany following the outburst of neo-Nazi violence in the country and the murder of three Turkish women.
In August 2006 25% of Haaretz newspaper’s shares were sold to the German corporation DuMont Schauberg. In the 1930s the company’s owners were members of the Nazi party and its newspapers supported the Nazi ideology.
But with time also passive opposition dwindled and several German companies gained prominence in the local market, such as the Lufthansa airline, which is one of the busiest flight operators in Israel. In 1958, when it first opened offices in the country, the company was faced with threats by members of the Beitar youth movement.
Trips to Germany, including by train, are also no longer considered taboo.
While in the past the importation of German products to Israel was done almost secretly, today an abundance of German-made products are a staple in Israeli households, including cars made by Mercedes, Volkswagen and BMW, Bosch’s electronic appliances and AEG washing machines. Israelis eat Milka chocolate, ride Kettler bicycle, use Merck and Bayer medicines and get x-rayed by Siemens machine.
Some of these companies contributed to the Nazi extermination efforts as part of the IG Farben conglomerate. Deutsche Bank indirectly helped fund the construction of the concentration camps and the heads of the L’Oreal cosmetics company collaborated with Vichy regime.
But for most Israelis, the “Made in Germany” label today only signifies quality, reliability and lost-lasting products.
‘But for most Israelis, the “Made in Germany” label today only signifies quality, reliability and lost-lasting
products’
yes. after 50 years ,we still feel the german made holocaust !
Jackie mason said once the right way. A wolkswagon he won’t buy cause its german, but his watch is always german.
Meaning by that, we yiddelech won’t purchase a german car not because the holocaust, the main issue is the $$$$!!!
Look in all jewish houses youl find BOSCH…..
Interesting subject. I’ve never been able to bring myself to buy a Mercedes or a VW even though germans have made reparations, fights antisemitism and most of the Nazi generation have died out, yet I buy Japanese cars without a problem, even though Japan attacked the U.S. and would have loved to kill millions, and never apologized or made reparations (that I’m aware of). At what point does one stop punishing a generation for the sins of its parents or grandparents? Should we follow the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln at the end of the civil war, that while we should not forget, we must act “with malice toward none and charity toward all” to bring true peace and healing.
I don’t ever plan on driving a German car. The present owners of the companies may have had nothing to do with the Holocaust, but driving a BMW or Mercedes still makes a big statement – one that says you’ve forgiven and forgotten. Either that or your tai’voh for a German car is stronger than your allegiance to the 6 million. As the grandchild of Auschwitz survivors, that is certainly not the case!
I still can not bring myself to buy products made in germany.
I will not pretend to understand how my grandparents and parents feel/felt about the world doing business with German after WWII. I cannot understand the emotional side in the way that they do.
That being said, ‘Germany’ as an abstract series of borders on a map did not do anything, PEOPLE did. Those people are, for the most part, all dead. Who could imagine that a country like German would become such a symbol of democracy in the world. Who could imagine the religious freedom that is enjoyed in Germany.
The people who live in and rule Germany are not the same people. Germany is one of the few countries in the world who (most of the time) stands with Israel… not out of guilt, but out of a democratic spirit of freedom. Can we stop blaming the children and grandchildren for the sins of their fathers? When the communists in France bash E”Y, Germany is frequently a voice of defense for us.
My point is that today’s generation in Germany is a new people that has only given us reason to befriend them. We have no reason to put up a wall between us. They are not our enemy.
Also, we would have to boycott almost every country. Germany, Italy and Japan for the Holocaust and World War 2, Russia and all the former Soviet countries for the persecution of the Jews after the war under communism, all the Arab and Muslim countries for their policies now, Spain for the 1492 inquisition and Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador for what they are now doing.
Right now the priority should be to boycott the Muslim countries and Venezuela and its allies.
Only buy Sunoco and Hess gas, they don’t get oil from the Middle East or Venezuela.
Watch the clothing labels you buy, many are made in Arab countries.
Germany is a friend of Israel in their diplomatic ties. They stand up for Israel. they boycotted the UN Racism Conference. All the cars, buses and trucks they give to Israel. Their buses are quiter and better the ones in America, but overall Germany is one of the most friendliest friends of Israel. They even have stricter rules in Germany when it comes to denying the holocaust than in America.
we should ban american made products because roosevelt turned away boats full of yiddin
BMW and Mercedes were around long before the Nazis (Y”S). I could understand not buying Volkswagen because that company was created by the mamzerim, but then I shouldn’t buy Ford because Henry Ford was playing footsie with the Nazis and was as big an anti-Semite as them.
If you’re putting your family in a car, you want only the best and safest.
My granmother a’h was aushvitz and always never brought any german products and always was against them until her grandchildern got them and she wound up getting one
Nos. 3, 9, 10 and 11 – you’ve all raised good points and have made me rethink my views. Something a stubborn Yid like me does not do very often.
My friend tells me “I will never buy a German car” he says this while flaunting his 10,000 dollar Breitling (made in Germany) watch! Ignorance is bliss!
DUVI: I would love to read your comments. However, I get dizzy by the time I get to the second line. Can you please be so kind, for the sake of the rest of us, to at least make an attempt to use capitalized letters where applicable, and to use proper punctuation? You possibly have something interesting to say, but it’s simply too difficult to read.
Thank you.
What about the other major players in the Holocaust – Poland and many of the other eastern European countries. Auschwitz is in Poland and the Poles supported The Nazis and did little to stop them. Although not big or numerous, Poland and its products are becoming more common, plus many people employ Poles as maids, workers etc. without a problem despite the fact that they or their parents may have helped or destroy our ancestors.
Germany now is not Nazi Germany, much like Israel is not Eretz Yisroel. There will always be people who hate us and the less we support them the better.
I leased a BMW a few years ago. It was the best car I ever had.
But I felt so guilty to be driving a German car.
Heard about the Holocaust survivor who was fed up of his washing machine braking down?
He finally bought a new, better one:
“Gib mir a Bosch, yemach shemom vezichrom” he said to the sales assistant!
I currently work in the night vision industry and our director of PR is German… however, I know that any day he would throw down for me… I’m orthodox and he knows it.
I don’t think it is in their blood, I think it is how they are raised. Sadly, a lot of Germans (and many others) are raised hating Jews… but it is a matter of being raised a certain way.