»Young German Leaders Deem Recent Trip to Israel a 'PR Operation' Run by Foreign Ministry«

»Some of the 160 delegates from Germany tell Haaretz that the the five-day, all-expenses-paid trip lacked critical narratives. 'The messages of the delegation was very nationalist ... there were no perspective for diplomacy or peacebuilding,' reports one participant«
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-12-01/ty-article-magazine/.premium/young-german-leaders-deem-recent-trip-to-israel-a-pr-operation-run-by-foreign-ministry/0000019a-da66-d11d-a7bf-fb673fff0000 (paywall)

http://archive.today/L7HPk
#Germany #Israel #Palestine

»Several participants who spoke with Haaretz described the delegation's programming as "a tightly stage-managed PR operation" that "had a taste of propaganda for the Israeli government."«

»"It all gave the impression of a stage-managed PR operation, with participants treated less as observers in an honest dialogue and more as part of the messaging architecture, carefully shaping what the public would later read,"«

»"There was no room to ask critical questions about the government," «

»Participants were told they would be offered "a unique opportunity to experience Israel up close and strengthen the friendship between our two nations," with options to join separate groups focused on politics, culture, or technology.«

» "the program was far from actual politics, and we never discussed issues within Israeli society, but only external matters."«

»Another "alarming" aspect of the trip, raised by Ramczik and other participants who spoke to Haaretz, was the tour guide who accompanied some members of the group and openly voiced his far-right ideological positions in conversations with them.«

»"I looked him up on Facebook, which was deeply disturbing," the participant said.«

»The participant said that it "made me wonder how such a person ends up guiding a delegation that is so tightly controlled."«

»"This delegation made me feel very sad," said Beitelmann«

»The messages of the delegation was very nationalist and centered on security, not on diplomatic relations, or how to develop relations with Palestinians or Arabs. There was no perspective for diplomacy or peacebuilding," he said.«

Da stellt sich allerdings die Frage wie naiv diese "young handpicked german future leaders" sind, wenn sie sich auf eine solche Reise einlassen und etwas anderes als mehr oder weniger offensichtliche, mehr oder weniger stark ausgeprägte nationalistische, militaristische bzw rechte Propaganda erwarten.

Vermutlich fehlt es bei diesen "young future leaders" schon am Grundwissen über den Staat Israel, und dessen jahrzehntelange Besatzungspolitik.