Following a foiled assassination attempt against him, Volker Beck, President of the German-Israeli Association, called on the federal government to adopt a much firmer policy toward Iran. Speaking to the TV network “Welt” on Thursday, Beck stated that arguments about “state necessity” are “empty fluff” if Germany continues to appease and flirt with Iran.
He recounted learning about the attack attempt last summer. He stated that afterward, he required one of the highest levels of personal protection available in the country for six weeks, noting that heading to a trash receptacle was impossible without police escort. Beck expressed relief that the suspects and their accomplices were arrested, but revealed that until recently, he had been unaware of the true level of danger. He revealed that he only learned from a reporter at the “Bild-Zeitung” that a pistol meant for his murder had apparently been procured.
According to Beck, it is general knowledge that Iran targets Jews, Jewish institutions, and friends of Israel on German soil, attacking them regularly, yet these acts fail to have any lasting consequences for German foreign policy. He demanded that German politics finally act consistently, specifically calling for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador. He questioned how it was acceptable for someone to use an embassy or middlemen in Germany to hire killers against German citizens, including himself and the Central Council President.
He questioned the purpose of the constant talk regarding “the security of Jewish life being non-negotiable” and “state necessity”. He stressed that these concepts are meaningless if Germany continues to appease Iran, as it has done for decades and continues to do now.
Beck expressed particular anger toward Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) for his disparaging remarks regarding the relevance of the Israeli intelligence service. He stated, “I want to write this in the ministerial register: the Foreign Minister claimed last year that we are not dependent on Israeli intelligence information. Without Israeli intelligence, I would probably be dead-and I might not be the only one”.
The attempt came to light following charges brought before the Hamburg District Court against two men. They were accused of planning attacks in Berlin on behalf of Iranian Revolutionary Guards. One suspect, who is from Afghanistan and Danish, allegedly scouted Jewish institutions in the capital and planned the murder of Josef Schuster, the Chairman of the Central Council of Jews, as well as Volker Beck.
