Berlin 14 November 2006 – “It has happened and it can happen again”. With these moving words the president of the German Bundestag  Dr Norbert Lammert opened the commemoration event of November 9,  Kristallnacht, at a gathering of some 2.000 Christians in Berlin. Lammert spoke about the need to go from sympathy to active involvement when we sense that there is a new threat facing the Jewish people.

“– Anti-Semitism is not tolerable anywhere in the world but in particular not in Germany”, stated the president of the Bundestag to the applauds of the participants.

–“Friends of Israel and friends of world mission have long been at odds with each other”, confessed Harald Eckert of the organising team. The church needs both a passion for mission and an understanding of God´s plans and purposes for Israel and the Jewish people. “There are no contradictions between the two, said Eckert. “There has been shortcoming from both sides but now there is a time for healing and coming together for those who want to follow our lord Jesus.”

The conference took place in the newly built church and conference center of Gemeinde auf dem Weg in Berlin.

“– There could not have been a better way to inaugurate these church buildings but to put Israel in the centre”, acknowledged host pastor Wolfhard Margies. Margies was part of the organising committee which consisted of representatives from different church movements such as the Lutheran renewal, the Pentecostal movement, Catholic groups and most of the German pro-Israel ministries.

Many believes that the conference will have ramifications for church life throughout Germany and perhaps also in Europe. Elke Kaasmann spoke about the need to “reclaim the German language back from the pollution of Nazism.

– “Words such as “Vater” and “Führer” and “Heil” belongs to the German language and ultimately to God”, she said. One of the evening meetings was concluded with praise music using those exact words.

Looking in to the future many speakers pointed to the fact that November 9 has been of crucial importance in the history of Germany. This is not only the date of the Kristallnacht but also the date when the Berlin wall came down in 1989 and put an end to the cold war.

– “Germany and Christians in Europe have failed the Jewish people but you may get a second chance,” predicted pastor Daniel Yahav from Israel and added; “This may be your last chance to show your love and compassion for the Jewish people.”

There is currently a new wind blowing over Germany. On the same night as the Christians gathered in Berlin to commemorate Kristallnach a new synagogue was opened in Munich. Once Germany was almost emptied of their Jewry but now there are about 300 000 Jews living in Germany.

– “How will you treat these people and how will you respond to the present threat of destruction of Israel”, asked pastor Yahav.

In a conference resolution the organisers responded by stating that “we need to make reality of the old pledge “never again” by taking the threat against the Jewish people seriously and by taking a clear stand for Israel.”

Tomas Sandell from the European Coalition for Israel spoke about the need to work together on a European level in order to combat anti-Semitism more effectively.

–“ In the past the threat against the Jewish people often came from one particular country or ideology. Today there is a mosaic of people and groups which have on their agenda the destruction of the state of Israel. Europe needs Germany to take the lead in this critical mission of the church to support the Jewish people and the state of Israel”, he said.