German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has received strong support in his homeland for the insult he gave to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to Gabriel’s visit to Israel, Netanyahu warned him that meeting with government-critical groups that label Israeli soldiers as war criminals would be a deal breaker. When Gabriel met with the group “Break the Silence,” Netanyahu canceled his meeting with Gabriel.

The politicians and media celebrated Gabriel’s return from Israel, Spiegel Online wrote May 1 (Trumpet translation throughout): “Sigmar Gabriel returned to Berlin last week in triumph. He was congratulated everywhere for his performance. … The behavior of the foreign minister was ‘exemplary.’”

Chancellor Angela Merkel defended her minister by saying that democracy needs to be open for critique. Other party colleagues in the coalition also supported the foreign minister and closed ranks against Netanyahu. “This was a small power test and the foreign minister has kept calm,” said Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière in an interview with the rtl Nachtjournal. He continued, “And that’s the right thing for a German foreign minister to do.”

Not only did media and politicians in Germany strongly back Gabriel’s criticism, but even highly influential people in Israel offered their support. N-TV reported May 4:

By letter, 20 well-known Israelis thanked Sigmar Gabriel for his meeting with representatives of the civil society. … With the letter addressed to Gabriel and Chancellor Angela Merkel, the signatories thanked the German authorities because for their support to the civil society in their country.

“We are a group of Israelis who are deeply concerned about the future of our country,” the letter said. Prof. David Harel, vice president of the Israeli Academy of Sciences, said that the letter was sent to the German ambassador. Among the signatories are influential Israeli scientists, artists, politicians and diplomats.

Because of its past, Germany works to maintain a special relationship with Israel. Previously that special relationship was expressed carefully and mostly positively; recently, however, Germany’s “support” of Israel has not been to Israel’s liking.

Spiegel columnist Jan Fleischhauer commented on Germany’s “obsession to make peace in the Middle East” and suggested that instead of trying to teach Israel about moral principles, it should focus on supporting Israel in other areas. Considering Germany’s history and recent internal problems, this could be sound advice. Fleischhauer wrote about the German media reaction: “Finally, we showed the government in Jerusalem that we from now on refuse to be blackmailed by the Holocaust; this was the tenor of many comments.”

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier traveled to Israel on Monday, where he spoke at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem about the special relationship Germany has with Israel. Yet he could not resist criticizing the Netanyahu, saying that government-critical organizations also deserve respect in a democracy.

In the midst of the audience, interestingly, sat a student from Germany working toward her masters degree at the university. She had the courage to ask a question that should also raise our interest: “Can you say a few words on how one is dealing with the fact that [Hitler’s] Wehrmacht is again a topic in the German Army?” reported the ard.

As Germany’s politicians and media criticize Netanyahu on principles of democracy, the horrors of its past rise again. Right-wing extremism is far from extinct in Germany—it survives in the leadership of the German Army to this day. Extremist thinking led Germans to murder 6 million Jews.

Since Germany has such problems in its own army, should it lecture Israel on moral principles? If Germany had learned from its past, it would not support Israeli movements willing to give in to terrorists, and it would deal with the right-wing extremists in its own country.

Most shocking, however, is that even prominent Jews in Israel trust Germany more than their own government. Bible prophecy tells us in Hosea 5:13 that this thinking will lead to Israel’s destruction. Read our free booklet on Hosea for more details of this prophesied double-cross. Germany has not learned from its past, but it will after Christ returns and leads the German people to righteousness.