Surprise: Most Germans believe that their country has no special obligation toward Israel or Jews

I can understand why a lot of young Germans have trouble feeling personal guilt for what their parents and grandparents did to Jews 70 years ago. But I have some trouble understanding why they feel that the German nation - which was responsible for wiping out one third of World Jewry - has no special obligation toward Israel or the Jewish people (Hat Tip: Lance K).

The survey, conducted by Forsa for Stern news magazine, found that 59 percent of those questioned viewed Israel as "aggressive", an increase of 10 percentage points over a similar survey in January 2009.

Seventy percent said they believed Israel pursued its interests without consideration for other nations, Stern said in a pre-release of its Thursday edition, up 11 percentage points from three years ago.

And 67 years after the end of the Nazi regime, 60 percent said Germany had no special obligation towards Israel, while a third believed the contrary, according to the survey of 1,002 people conducted on May 15 and 16.

New German President Joachim Gauck is due to make his first state visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories from May 28 to 31.

I wonder how many other countries in the world would be considered 'aggressive' or would be deemed to 'pursue its interests without consideration for other nations.' The latter sounds like something that would only concern Barack Obama.