Conducted in Berlin 68 years ago this week, the Wannsee Conference was a turning point in World War ii. Chaired by SS second-in-command Reinhard Heydrich and attended by 15 Nazi bigwigs, the conference addressed Hitler’s order to bring about the “final solution to the Jewish question.” It was a landmark in Nazi policy toward Jews.

“Europe would be combed of Jews from east to west,” stated Heydrich at the meeting. Hitler’s Nazi minions were inspired; each man returned to his post stirred to act—to flog more Jews, construct more death camps, erect gas chambers, dig larger pits and stoke the ovens. At Wannsee, Nazi leaders embraced Hitler’s horrid yet simple goal: the efficient extermination of every Jew in Europe and North Africa.

There was no public memory of Wannsee, or death camps, or gas chambers in Berlin Monday, when leaders from Israel and Germany gathered to discuss “Jewish questions” of a different sort. Monday’s meeting was the first-ever joint cabinet session between Germany and Israel on German soil. It was co-chaired by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, each of whom had 10 high-level officials in tow. Like Wannsee, it was a landmark meeting in modern Jewish-German relations.

And like Wannsee, too few in the West fully understand its grim significance—and what it portends.

Germany and Israel have been courting for years. Their relationship received a major boost in March 2008, when Merkel visited Israel, warmly embraced Israel’s leaders, and delivered a brave and moving speech before Israel’s Knesset in which she expressed shame over Germany’s complicity in the murder of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. Naturally, Israel’s leaders were delighted by Merkel’s sincere public repentance, and her eagerness to forge better relations. Embracing what it perceived to be broader German opinion, Israel stepped up its effort to deepen its relationship with Europe’s largest, most influential and seemingly pro-Israel nation. The relationship continued to blossom.

This week’s historic joint cabinet session in Berlin—the former headquarters of Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship—is perhaps the most important landmark thus far indicating the health and direction of the German-Israel relationship. More importantly, it is a portent of some terrible things to come.

Before he departed Israel Sunday, Netanyahu gave his cabinet a pep talk on how special the German-Israel relationship is. That relationship has “far-reaching implications for Israel’s economy, for Israel’s policies, for our political struggle in the world and for Israel’s security,” he told his staff.

Monday was special for Germany too. Merkel stated, “I believe that, in the framework of the historic responsibility we bear for Israel’s existence and future, it is eminently important that we continue to work on developing cooperation in the entire range of our bilateral ties” (emphasis mine throughout).

These joint government consultations are a “very special event,” a German spokesman said. “Germany only conducts such meetings with a very few partners.”

At the meeting, officials discussed strategies for bolstering political, economic and security relations between Jerusalem and Berlin. High on the agenda was Berlin’s efforts to mediate the prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel, as well as the billion-euro deal for the purchase by Israel of a German-built submarine and two stealth navy vessels. (Germany has become Israel’s largest military supplier over the last 10 years.)

Beyond these peripheral issues, it appears German and Israeli leaders tackled two issues central to Israel’s existence as a sovereign state. In fact, analyzing the news flowing from Germany, it looks like the ailing Middle East peace process and the Iranian nuclear program were the primary topics of discussion at Monday’s gathering.

In the post-meeting press conference, participants spoke positively, albeit in diplomatic and general terms, about their joint discussions concerning the peace process. It was left to others connected but not directly involved in the meetings to wax eloquent about Germany’s role. From the sidelines of Monday’s meeting, former Israeli Ambassador Avi Primor explained how Germany was key to European efforts to forge peace in the Middle East. In an interview with the German daily Berliner Zeitung on Monday, Primor called on Germany to become the driving force behind the establishment of a security force to ensure peace and stability in Israel.

The force “would have to be a fighting, robust force that could ensure security in the West Bank,” he stated. “It wouldn’t have to be Bundeswehr soldiers or entirely European”—though presumably it would be fine if it was—but Germany should be the political power driving it. Primor admitted that the creation of such a force probably wouldn’t be an official topic of discussion in Monday’s meeting, but noted that “behind the scenes the Germans could grab the initiative and ask the Israelis how they could help solve the security problem, which is the central issue blocking the peace process.”

Without doubt, the subject that featured most in Monday’s discussions was Iran’s nuclear ambitions. As Israel’s prime minister, and a man with a fairly realistic take on geopolitics, Netanyahu understands the serious nature of Iran’s nuclear weapons program better than all other world leaders. As he does in many of his meetings with fellow leaders, Netanyahu devoted most of his efforts Monday to petitioning Merkel for greater assistance in enforcing “tough and fast” action against the nuclear-aspiring regime in Tehran.

It appears as if his hard work paid off. In a joint press conference Monday, Merkel stated that “we have made it clear that if the reaction of Iran does not change, we will cooperate in the preparation of wide-ranging sanctions ….” The press, for the most part, reported Merkel’s statement in support of sanctions against Iran as a virtual certainty, a clear-cut signal that Berlin is now prepared to get tougher with Tehran. We’ll see. It’s interesting that two days after Merkel promised to support tougher sanctions against Iran, news broke of a €1 billion gas deal between Iran and a major Germany company. (Watch: Many in Germany will not support Merkel’s drive for tough sanctions.)

What is certain is that Israel thinks its relationship with Germany is healthy and founded on mutual trust. As the ambassador between Israel and Germany, Yoram Ben Zeev understands better than most the significance of Monday’s meeting in Berlin, and the broader German-Israel relationship. In an interview with Israel Radio 9 on Monday, the ambassador made a truly staggering observation about Israel’s relations with Germany: “I think that Germany today, without much effort, can be considered the country closest to Israel in Europe, and maybe in general”—that is, even closer than America.

To regular Trumpet readers, that is a prophetically riveting statement!

For 20 years now, the Trumpet has explained that Europe—specifically Germany—would replace America as Israel’s most important friend. Using a prophecy in Hosea 5, the Trumpet has prophesied specifically and regularly that a German-dominated European empire would replace the United States as the “key” mediator in the Middle East peace process. As early as December 1994, Gerald Flurry wrote: “A weak U.S. is being pushed aside by Europe …. Europe is moving not only to be a co-sponsor in the peace process—they want to take control of it!“

Using the same prophecy in Hosea 5, and an additional one in Daniel 11, the Trumpet has also forecast that a German-led European superpower would emerge (in the gigantic power vacuum created by America’s demise) with the strength and will to confront Iran, which the Bible terms the king of the south. We have shown that Israel—hated by the king of the south, rejected by its historic ally of America, and unwilling to turn to God—would in this end time gravitate toward Germany and Europe for strength and security.

We just witnessed the partial fulfillment of both these forecasts in Berlin on Monday!

Truly, in a world overflowing with tragedy, nothing is more moving, more awesome, more hope-inducing, than watching the fulfillment of Bible prophecy!

How will the German-Israel relationship end? Bible prophecy informs us that it will end horribly for the Jewish state. In practical terms, the relationship will likely continue to blossom, at least superficially. Sometime soon, however, and under a leader with sinister ambitions quite unlike those of Angela Merkel, a German-led Europe will demonstrate unimaginable cruelty to the Jewish state it is courting today.

How bad will it get for the Jewish state? Well, take a few moments to meditate on the outcome of the Wannsee Conference—then multiply the carnage a thousandfold.