(Ha'aretz) Adar Primor - Joachim Gauck, Germany's 11th president, began his first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Tuesday. Gauck, a Lutheran pastor, is a former anti-Communist civil rights activist in East Germany. In an interview with Ha'aretz on the eve of his visit, Gauck said Germany "has a unique responsibility for Israel due to the darkest chapter in our history," a responsibility "that will never cease. Germany is fully committed to the security and right to exist of the State of Israel." "I'm very concerned about Iran's nuclear program," he says. "Given the comments made by Iran's leaders, it not only represents a concrete threat to Israel but also a potential threat to the region and also for us in Europe."
2012-05-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive