Germany honors critic of Israel

BERLIN (JTA). Jewish leaders and Israeli officials expressed dismay at Germany's decision to honor a "fanatic Israel hater" with the nation's Order of Merit.
Attorney Felicia Langer, 79, was selected for the honor by the mayor of her adopted hometown, Tubingen, to recognize her humanitarian work.
Critics charge that Langer, an Israeli, has reserved extra vitriol for the country, calling it an apartheid state. Her critics also say that Langer praised the anti-Semitic speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Geneva in April, and suggested that Israeli leaders be tried for war crimes at the international court in The Hague.
Undersecretary of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Hubert Wicker, in presenting the award July 16 praised Langer for her "tireless efforts to reach her goal of building a bridge between Israelis and Palestinians."
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