Volker Beck, President of the German-Israel Society, has called on the German government to adopt a much firmer stance toward Iran following a recently disrupted assassination attempt targeting him. During an interview with the TV channel “Welt” on Thursday, Beck criticized the government’s stance, labeling any rhetoric concerning “state necessity” as empty talk if Germany continues its conciliatory approach with Tehran.
Speaking about the danger, Beck recalled learning about the attempted attack last summer. He noted that afterward, he received one of the highest levels of personal protection available in the country, stating that traveling to a dumpster-figuratively speaking-would have been impossible without police escort. He expressed relief upon the arrest of the suspects and their associates, but admitted he had never known the true level of danger involved until a reporter from the “Bild-Zeitung” revealed that a pistol had clearly been procured for his murder.
According to Beck, it is widely known that Iran targets Jews, Jewish institutions, and Israel supporters within German territory, frequently launching attacks that consistently result in no meaningful consequences for German foreign policy. He now expects German politics to act with consistency, specifically calling for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador. He stated, “It cannot be acceptable that someone can hire killers in Germany, operating through their embassy and their proxies, against German citizens, or against the Central Council President, me”.
Beck challenged the government on the nature of discussions regarding the “undeniable safety of Jewish life” and German “state necessity” arguing that these concepts are meaningless if Germany continues the soft, deceptive tactics it has employed over the decades, and continues to do so now.
He voiced particular indignation regarding German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU), who had previously minimized the relevance of Israel’s intelligence services. Beck sharply retorted, “I want to record for Foreign Minister Wadephul that last year he claimed we were not reliant on Israeli intelligence. Without Israeli intelligence, I would likely be dead-and I might not be the only one”.
This heightened concern follows legal proceedings in Hamburg, where two men were charged with plotting attacks in Berlin on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. These defendants are accused of having scouted Jewish institutions in the capital and planning the murders of Josef Schuster, the Chairman of the Central Council of Jews, and Volker Beck, the head of the DIG.