Israel Matzav

Mahmoud beeps Angela

It's been a rough week for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. First, there was the ridiculous story coming out of the 'angry left blogosphere' that said she had been the object of an advance by US President George Bush at the G-8 conference in St. Petersburg, Russia. Tonight, Merkel received a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinadinnerjacket asking her to "help solve the Palestinian problem and deal with Zionism." Ms. Merkel must wish that Germany had no communications with other countries!

"There’s nothing about the nuclear issue (in the letter),” the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the extreme sensitivity of the issue for the German government.

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“It’s all related to Germany and how we have to find a solution to the Palestinian problems and Zionism and so on. It’s rather weird,” The official, who has seen the letter, said.

Iranian students news agency said on Wednesday that Ahmadinejad had written to Merkel, but until Thursday officials had not spoken about the contents.

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Berlin’s relations with Ahmadinejad have been complicated by his denial of the Holocaust, in which Germany’s Nazi regime killed six million Jews, and his call for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Holocaust denial is a crime in Germany punishable with up to five years in prison.

“It’s extremely touchy (for the German government),” said the official, adding that the government did not yet know if or how it would respond. “There are a lot of propaganda phrases about Israel and the Jews inside.”

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“It’s not negative like Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush. He is not criticizing Germany,” he said. “It’s basically about how we have to work together and solve the problems of the world together.”

In February, Merkel compared Ahmadinejad’s statements and stance to Adolf Hitler’s rise to power when he and his Nazi party began threatening to exterminate European Jewry.

“Remember that in 1933 many people said it was just rhetoric,” Merkel said.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:09 AM