40 Years of German-Israeli Diplomacy | Germany | Deutsche Welle |

From a May 12, 2005, article from Europe:

Germany and Israel celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations on Thursday. While they have been characterized as peaceful and relaxed, "normal" relations are still far away.

[snip]

These days, Germany is Israel's most important political ally and trade partner in Europe and only second to the US in the world. And beyond politics, the two nations have established close personal networks and a cultural relationship that has infused the "special relationship" with life.

But it was a long road to get there.

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