(Maariv International) Ben Dror Yemini- Following World War II, 11 million ethnic Germans living in Poland and Czechoslovakia were unceremoniously given one-way tickets and told never to return. Within a few years they were totally absorbed into Germany, ceased being refugees, and disappeared from the headlines - no UNRWA, no refugee camps, just Germans living in Germany. The German left has always rejected any talk of right of return or compensation, claiming that any such attempt would re-ignite dormant nationalistic passions best forgotten, and that a new reality has been created and must be respected. However when it comes to the Middle East, elements of the German left support the right of the Palestinians to return to a home they have not lived in for over fifty years. This week Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder visited Poland where he gave a resounding no to any talk of right of return or compensation.
2004-08-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive