German-Israeli Society

The German-Israeli Society, commonly known by its German name Deutsch-Israelische Gesellschaft or the abbreviation DIG, is a German civic organization focused on developing and sustaining relations between Germany and Israel. Its work belongs to the fields of international friendship, public education, political dialogue, remembrance culture, and opposition to antisemitism. Rather than operating as a consumer-facing brand, the Society functions as an association and public-interest network whose activities are carried out through national leadership and local branches. The organization grew out of German-Israeli study groups that were active before formal diplomatic relations were established between the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel. Study groups existed at the Free University of Berlin from 1957 and at the Kirchliche Hochschule in West Berlin from 1960, with related groups at universities across West Germany. The theological scholar Rolf Rendtorff was an important early influence, and in 1963 he and like-minded colleagues sought to persuade members of the Bundestag that diplomatic relations with Israel should be established. These networks helped create a civic environment for closer German-Israeli engagement during a period in which the legacy of the Holocaust shaped West Germany's relationship with the newly established State of Israel. The DIG's activities have generally included public events, educational programs, exchanges, local branch work, political discussion, and advocacy concerning Germany's relationship with Israel. Its officers and members have also been associated with institutional efforts to combat antisemitism. According to the Society's referenced history, DIG personnel have contributed to the pool of experts later appointed as antisemitism commissioners by German institutions, particularly after the European migrant crisis of 2015. The organization has not been free of internal or public controversy. Some of its local branches criticized the exhibition “Nakba – Flight and Expulsion of the Palestinians 1948,” arguing that its presentation assigned responsibility in a one-sided way and did not sufficiently support peaceful coexistence. The dispute illustrated the difficult balance faced by organizations that promote German-Israeli relations while operating in a public debate involving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, historical memory, and competing narratives of displacement. At the same time, local DIG figures did not uniformly oppose the exhibition; in Osnabrück, for example, local chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering reportedly offered a welcoming statement at its opening. The Society began a professionalization phase in 2020 when Michaela Engelmeier became its first Secretary General in a newly created position. The office was intended to expand and organize the Society's work. Since 2022, the organization has been headed by Volker Beck, a German politician and public figure known for work on human rights and antisemitism-related issues. The DIG remains an active association whose public profile is closely connected to debates over Germany's historical responsibility, Israel's security, antisemitism, and the future of bilateral relations.

The German-Israeli Society emerged from a network of German-Israeli study groups that developed in West Germany during the years before the Federal Republic established diplomatic relations with Israel. A study group had existed at the Freie Universität Berlin from 1957, while another operated at the Kirchliche Hochschule in West Berlin from 1960. Similar groups were active at 17 universities in West Germany. These initiatives provided a forum for academic, theological, and political engagement with Israel at a time when German society was still working through the consequences of the Holocaust and the political implications of the Federal Republic's relationship with the Jewish state. Rolf Rendtorff, a theology professor and rector of the Kirchliche Hochschule, was an important influence within the early movement. In the summer of 1963, he and other supporters began approaching members of the Bundestag in Bonn to argue for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel. The resulting civic activity formed part of a wider effort to make German-Israeli reconciliation and cooperation a durable public concern rather than an issue limited to government diplomacy. The DIG subsequently developed into an association promoting German-Israeli relations through public discussion, education, exchanges, local branches, political engagement, and remembrance-oriented work. Its activities have addressed the historical foundations of the relationship as well as contemporary questions involving Israel's security, German foreign policy, antisemitism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Because the Society operates through a network of local branches, its public interventions have sometimes reflected local political circumstances and differences within the broader organization. One notable dispute concerned the exhibition “Nakba – Flight and Expulsion of the Palestinians 1948,” which was displayed in numerous German cities. Some DIG branches criticized the exhibition's framing as one-sided and argued that assigning blame in that manner did not advance peaceful coexistence. Exhibition organizers and their supporters accused the critics, including the DIG and other organizations, of attempting to prevent public discussion rather than engage with it. The response was not uniform across all branches: in Osnabrück, local chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering reportedly spoke at the exhibition's opening. The episode demonstrated the tension between the Society's pro-Israel orientation and the demand for broader discussion of Palestinian historical experiences. The DIG has also been connected with German efforts to combat antisemitism. Its officers have reportedly supplied a significant number of people later appointed as antisemitism commissioners by German institutions, particularly following the 2015 European migrant crisis. This reflects the Society's broader transformation from a friendship organization centered primarily on bilateral relations into an actor involved in public policy and social education. In 2019, an internal leadership dispute became public in Berlin. Berlin branch chairman Jochen Feilcke unsuccessfully called for the resignation of DIG vice president Dirk Niebel after Niebel made a statement during a business trip to Israel that was later regarded as undiplomatic and withdrawn. Niebel subsequently made a private attempt to travel to the Gaza Strip to visit a sewage-treatment facility, but Israeli authorities prevented the trip, citing the lack of prior coordination and concerns that Hamas could use such visits for propaganda. Niebel did not seek another term, while Feilcke also resigned from his branch position. The organization introduced a new Secretary General position in 2020, appointing Michaela Engelmeier. The stated purpose was to professionalize and broaden the Society's operations. Volker Beck has headed the DIG since 2022. In 2025, the Society criticized a reported decision by Friedrich Merz and Lars Klingbeil to stop military-equipment deliveries to Israel, characterizing the decision as benefiting Hamas politically. The Society's referenced history also records a 2026 prosecution involving an alleged Iranian-linked assassination plot targeting Beck and Josef Schuster, although this event concerns an alleged criminal conspiracy rather than the Society's own conduct.

• 2025

  Society opposes reported halt to military equipment deliveries

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The DIG criticized a reported German decision to halt military equipment deliveries to Israel.

• 2022

  Volker Beck becomes head of the Society

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Volker Beck assumed leadership of the German-Israeli Society.

• 2020

  Secretary General position created

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Michaela Engelmeier was appointed to a newly created Secretary General role intended to professionalize and expand the Society's work.

• 2019

  Leadership dispute involving Dirk Niebel

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  A Berlin branch leadership challenge followed criticism of statements and an uncoordinated planned visit connected with Israel and Gaza; Niebel did not seek another term.

• 1963

  Supporters lobby for German-Israeli diplomatic relations

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Rolf Rendtorff and other advocates approached Bundestag members in Bonn to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel.

• 1960

  Study group activity expands in West Berlin and West Germany

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  A further group operated at the Kirchliche Hochschule in West Berlin, alongside related groups at universities across West Germany.

• 1957

  Study group established at the Free University of Berlin

  [1]German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org

  A German-Israeli study group was active at the Freie Universität Berlin, forming part of the intellectual background from which the Society later developed.

A non-commercial, pro-Israel German civic association positioned at the intersection of bilateral friendship, political education, historical responsibility, and antisemitism prevention.

• Educational programming

  Public education and lectures

  The Society organizes or supports public-facing educational activity concerning Israel, Germany's relationship with Israel, historical responsibility, antisemitism, and current bilateral or regional affairs. These activities are delivered through the association's national and local structures rather than as commercial products.

• International relations

  German-Israeli dialogue and exchanges

  Dialogue and exchange work is designed to connect German and Israeli citizens, organizations, educators, and public figures. The precise formats vary by branch and program, but the underlying purpose is to develop personal and institutional contacts between the two countries.

• Civic advocacy

  Antisemitism prevention and remembrance engagement

  The DIG participates in public discussion and institutional efforts addressing antisemitism and the historical foundations of German-Israeli relations. Its officers have also been associated with the recruitment of antisemitism commissioners in German institutions, especially after 2015.

• 2026

  Alleged plot targeting Volker Beck

  German prosecutors reportedly charged two men over an alleged Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked plot to assassinate DIG head Volker Beck and Josef Schuster of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

  Source

• 2019

  Internal dispute over Dirk Niebel's conduct

  Berlin chairman Jochen Feilcke sought Dirk Niebel's resignation after a statement during a trip to Israel was viewed as undiplomatic and later retracted. A subsequent attempt by Niebel to visit a sewage-treatment project in Hamas-controlled Gaza was blocked by Israeli authorities because the visit had not been coordinated and could be used for propaganda. Niebel did not run again, and Feilcke also resigned.

  Source

• Controversy over the Nakba exhibition

  Some DIG branches criticized the exhibition “Nakba – Flight and Expulsion of the Palestinians 1948” as politically one-sided and unsuitable for fostering peaceful coexistence. Organizers accused critics of trying to suppress the exhibition, while the response among local DIG figures was not uniform.

  Source

Read more

• 1963Advocacy for German-Israeli diplomatic relations

  Germany

  Early supporters associated with the study-group network lobbied Bundestag members to support diplomatic relations between West Germany and Israel.

  Outcome. The initiative helped build public and parliamentary support for closer bilateral relations, although the source does not attribute the later diplomatic decision solely to the Society.

  Source
• German-Israeli civic dialogue

  Germany · Israel

  The Society's continuing program of events, exchanges, education, and local-branch activity promotes public and political connections between Germany and Israel.

  Source

• 2025

  Opposition to reported military-equipment haltStrategy

  Background

  The Society responded to a reported decision by Friedrich Merz and Lars Klingbeil to immediately stop deliveries of military equipment to Israel.

  Action taken

  The DIG publicly criticized the decision and described it as a political victory for Hamas.

  Source

• 2022

  Change in organizational leadershipOther

  Background

  The Society entered a new leadership phase after the creation of its Secretary General role.

  Action taken

  Volker Beck became head of the German-Israeli Society.

  Aftermath

  Beck has represented the Society in subsequent public debates concerning Israel, antisemitism, and German policy.

  Source

• 2020

  Professionalization through a Secretary General's officeStrategy

  Background

  The Society sought to broaden and organize its work through a more professional administrative structure.

  Action taken

  It created a Secretary General position and appointed Michaela Engelmeier.

  Aftermath

  The new office became part of the Society's leadership structure and was intended to support expanded activity.

  Source

1. 1German–Israeli Societyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2German-Israeli Society official websitedigev.de