Angela Merkel, dubbed by Forbes the most powerful woman in the world, expressed "shame" over Germany's role in the Holocaust. Because her speech was delivered in German, seven of 120 legislators boycotted her address. But when it was over, the audience -- which included Holocaust survivors and children of Holocaust survivors -- gave Merkel a standing ovation.
From CNN's take on the address:
- "'The Holocaust fills us with shame,' she said. 'I bow my head before the survivors and I bow my head before you in tribute to the fact that you were able to survive.'
Anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia 'must never take root again in Germany or in Europe,' she said, and vowed to battle any flare-ups.
Speaking to the Knesset, Angela Merkel also spoke of Germany's unwavering support for Israel calling the Iranian president's nuclear ambitions 'a major danger' not only to Israel, but to the world as well.
...'It is not the world that has to prove that Iran is building a bomb,' she said. 'Rather, Iran has to prove to the world that it does not want the nuclear bomb.'
Ahmadinejad has also said Israel should not exist as a sovereign nation, but Merkel said Israel's right to exist is not open to negotiation. 'These are not just empty words,' she said, adding that Germany would support further sanctions on Iran if it fails to cooperate.
'What do we do when a majority says the greatest threat to the world comes from Israel and not from Iran?' she asked. 'Do we bow our heads? Do we give up our efforts to combat the Iranian threat? However inconvenient and uncomfortable the alternative is, we do not do that.'
'If we were to do that, then we would not have understood our historical responsibility, nor would we be able to properly develop a way to deal with the challenges of our day, and both options would be lethal.'"
Merkel, who vowed that Germany would never abandon Israel, also visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial, on her trip.
