When Angela Merkel was German Chancellor, she made an unusual declaration speaking to the Israeli Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem about Germany’s understanding of its historical responsibility for the Holocaust and its legacy meant: “This historical responsibility of Germany is part of my country's raison d'être [
Hope this isn't too annoying, but I was overstimulated.
In my understanding, Staatsräson is not at all a "raison d'être" but a "raison d'état", that is a justification for a particular policy, not for the state's existence, that is purely political (in the international sense of state-to-state interaction, not internal politics), as in https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/raison_d%27%C3%89tat
"(politics) raison d'état; a state interest, especially when invoked as politically superior to moral or even legal considerations
La raison d’État constitue l’excuse parfaite pour tout abus politique
State interests are the perfect excuse for all political abuses."
Like Henry Kissinger, the perfect raison d'état guy, explaining why US must abandon Chiang Kai Shek and replace him in the UN with communists (not that I think it was necessarily a bad decision but that was how he successfully sold it to startled Republicans)
If Merkel and Scholz etc. were using "Staatsräson" that way, they would literally be saying Germany's support for Israel is pure Realpolitik with no justification other than meeting Germany's Realpolitik needs. Like in the obvious way, Israel is a beard to shut up people who want to reproach them for the Shoah.
Is it possible that that's exactly what they mean? "If we don't do exactly what Netanyahu wants it's bad for Germany, don't ask so many questions"? In which they could of course be mistaken?
Hope this isn't too annoying, but I was overstimulated.
In my understanding, Staatsräson is not at all a "raison d'être" but a "raison d'état", that is a justification for a particular policy, not for the state's existence, that is purely political (in the international sense of state-to-state interaction, not internal politics), as in https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/raison_d%27%C3%89tat
"(politics) raison d'état; a state interest, especially when invoked as politically superior to moral or even legal considerations
La raison d’État constitue l’excuse parfaite pour tout abus politique
State interests are the perfect excuse for all political abuses."
Like Henry Kissinger, the perfect raison d'état guy, explaining why US must abandon Chiang Kai Shek and replace him in the UN with communists (not that I think it was necessarily a bad decision but that was how he successfully sold it to startled Republicans)
If Merkel and Scholz etc. were using "Staatsräson" that way, they would literally be saying Germany's support for Israel is pure Realpolitik with no justification other than meeting Germany's Realpolitik needs. Like in the obvious way, Israel is a beard to shut up people who want to reproach them for the Shoah.
Is it possible that that's exactly what they mean? "If we don't do exactly what Netanyahu wants it's bad for Germany, don't ask so many questions"? In which they could of course be mistaken?
Whatever happened to the idea of 'Never again...for anyone'?