Germany9s complex relationship to the issue of Palestine is often explained in terms of the country9s past and its consequent affinity for Israel as the perceived homeland of Holocaust survivors. German policy decisions in the last two decades, including the sale of nuclear-capable submarines to Israel, seem to confirm this view. That notwithstanding, argues this article, Germany9s Middle East policy and popular German perceptions of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis must be placed in a more contemporary historical context of evolving political priorities. The article contends that the current political class9 zealous identification with Israel is a qualitatively new phenomenon in Germany largely unrelated to moral considerations pertaining to the Nazi era. In addition to examining how this identification plays out more broadly in society, the article also attempts to locate possible fissures that could give rise to changes in official policy.

中文翻译：

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破译德国的亲以色列共识

德国与巴勒斯坦问题的复杂关系常常被解释为该国的过去及其与以色列作为大屠杀幸存者的家园的密切关系。德国过去二十年的政策决定，包括向以色列出售具有核能力的潜艇，似乎证实了这一观点。尽管如此，本文认为，德国的中东政策和德国对巴勒斯坦人和以色列人之间冲突的流行看法必须置于更现代的政治优先事项演变的历史背景中。这篇文章认为，当前政治阶层对以色列的狂热认同在德国是一种全新的现象，在很大程度上与纳粹时代的道德考虑无关。