The leader of Germany’s Jewish community had a hastily-arranged meeting Wednesday with Chancellor Angela Merkel after accusing a cabinet minister of anti-Semitism. Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Central Council of German Jews, has been angered over calls by Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul for a UN probe into Israel’s use of cluster bombs in military strikes on Lebanese and Hezbollah targets. Knobloch, a Holocaust survivor, has repeatedly complained about what she terms a growing mood against Israel and Jews in Germany.

After the one-hour meeting, a government spokeswoman did not say if the aid minister’s views had been discussed. She said Merkel and the four-member Jewish delegation emphasized the ‘partnership of trust’ between the government and Jews.

In comments to Der Spiegel magazine’s online edition, Knobloch had attacked German politicians for views hostile to Israel and singled out Wieczorek-Zeul and Left Party leader Oskar Lafontaine.

‘These people support the anti-mood against Jews in Germany,’ said Knobloch.

A clearly embarrassed Merkel later told reporters the views expressed by her minister on Israel, cluster bombs and the UN were private opinions and had not been cleared with the government.

Merkel leads the Christian Democratic Union party while Wieczorek- Zeul is a left-wing member of the Social Democratic Party, the junior government partner.

The number of Jews in Germany has increased to about 110,000, up from 30,000 in 1989, thanks mainly to immigration from the former East Bloc.

M&C