The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Wednesday presented German Chancellor Angela Merkel with its distinguished ADL Joseph Prize for Human Rights in recognition of her “abiding commitment to promoting and protecting human rights at home and abroad.”
ADL cited a number of accomplishments and actions that showed Chancellor Merkel’s unwavering commitment to human rights, including her ‘’efforts to protect the human rights of Jews through her commitment to the security of the State of Israel, raising her voice against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his arbitrary exercise of power, her defense of Jewish religious freedom in Germany, including the protection of the right to male circumcision and her courageous public criticism of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s actions against protestors last year, in which she stated that “our European values – the freedom to demonstrate, the freedom of speech, the rule of law, the freedom of religion – they apply always. They are non-negotiable for us.”
The prize was presented at the German Chancellery in Berlin by members of a leadership delegation currently traveling in Germany led by Barry Curtiss-Lusher, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.
“As the head of government, the pursuit of human rights is not your only responsibility,” said Mr. Foxman in his remarks to Chancellor Merkel.
“Internationally, we have seen you, time and again, speak frankly to other leaders on human rights issues. On your first visit to Moscow as Chancellor, you made a point of inviting human rights campaigners to a reception at the German embassy. And since then you have raised your voice publicly when meeting with Vladimir Putin on behalf of those targeted by his arbitrary exercise of power,’’ Foxman added.
He continued, ‘’All your actions are based on deep personal convictions. We are fortunate that someone with such convictions leads one of the most important countries in the world, and that you have made clear to other leaders that their records on human rights play a weighty role in determining Germany’s relations with their nations.”
In accepting the award, Chancellor Merkel stated : “I appreciate this award as a sign of confidence in me and our country, as evidence of a close and reliable transatlantic partnership, and as an incentive to continue to stand up for humanity and the rule of law, just as the Anti-Defamation League has done for over 100 years and around the world.’’
The ADL delegation also presented Merkel with a framed paper-cut that repeats, in several languages, the Hebrew phrase “V’ahavta L’reakha Kamokha,” which translates “Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself,” which is one of the most sacred admonitions of the Torah.
Angela Merkel has been Chancellor of Germany since 2005 and the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party since 2000. She is the first woman to hold either office.
The daughter of a Lutheran pastor and a teacher, she grew up in a rural area north of Berlin in what was then East Germany. She studied physics at the University of Leipzig, earning a doctorate in 1978, and later worked as a chemist at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry, Academy of Sciences.