The Path to Atonement: West Germany and Israel after the Holocaust

IF 4.8 1区社会学 Q1 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

International Security Pub Date : 2023-01-01 DOI:10.1162/isec_a_00460

Kathrin Bachleitner

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Abstract

Abstract Atonement is a state practice that comprises an official political apology and the offer of reparation payments to former victims of mass atrocities, war crimes, and human rights abuses. Despite being considered the moral and right thing to do, atonement has occurred only once at the state level: between West Germany and Israel in 1952. Whereas existing explanations view the West German pathway after the Holocaust as either an ethical choice or a domestic policy induced by U.S. pressure, atonement can also be a political decision. Politicians may give official apologies and pay reparations because such practices promise tangible political benefits. An investigation of the West German–Israeli case and a comparison with two non-atoning perpetrators of World War II, Austria and Japan, illustrate the plausibility of these claims. Atonement emerged as a bilateral strategy between West Germany and Israel because it represented a politically expedient option for both countries. This finding offers insights into when politicians may pursue atonement in other cases and points to a potential avenue toward long-term international stability and durable peace.

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《赎罪之路:大屠杀后的西德和以色列

赎罪是一种国家行为，包括官方的政治道歉和向大规模暴行、战争罪和侵犯人权行为的前受害者提供赔偿。尽管被认为是道德和正确的事情，但在国家层面上的赎罪只发生过一次:1952年西德和以色列之间。尽管现有的解释将大屠杀后的西德道路视为一种道德选择或在美国压力下诱导的国内政策，但赎罪也可以是一种政治决定。政客们可能会做出官方道歉并支付赔偿金，因为这种做法有望带来切实的政治利益。对西德-以色列案件的调查以及与两个不愿赎罪的二战肇事者奥地利和日本的比较，说明了这些说法的合理性。赎罪之所以成为西德和以色列之间的双边战略，是因为这对两国都是一种政治上的权宜之计。这一发现为政治家在其他情况下寻求赎罪提供了见解，并指出了实现长期国际稳定和持久和平的潜在途径。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Security Social Sciences-Law

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

10.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： International Security publishes lucid, well-documented essays on the full range of contemporary security issues. Its articles address traditional topics of war and peace, as well as more recent dimensions of security, including environmental, demographic, and humanitarian issues, transnational networks, and emerging technologies. International Security has defined the debate on US national security policy and set the agenda for scholarship on international security affairs for more than forty years. The journal values scholarship that challenges the conventional wisdom, examines policy, engages theory, illuminates history, and discovers new trends. Readers of IS discover new developments in: The causes and prevention of war U.S.-China relations Great power politics Ethnic conflict and intra-state war Terrorism and insurgency Regional security in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America U.S. foreign and defense policy International relations theory Diplomatic and military history Cybersecurity and defense technology Political economy, business, and security Nuclear proliferation.