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Leader of Germany's Jewish community dies Holocaust survivor helped secure government recognition, funds BERLIN - Holocaust survivor Paul Spiegel, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, died on Sunday aged 68 after a long illness, the council said. Spiegel had since 2000 headed the council, which represents some 100,000 Jews in the country that once tried to wipe them out. In a statement, the council announced “with great mourning” that Spiegel had died early on Sunday in Duesseldorf. It said he had been suffering from leukemia. Chancellor Angela Merkel was saddened by Spiegel’s death, her office said. “The...

Nov. 4, 2003 German general dismissed for praising anti-Semitism By ASSOCIATED PRESS BERLIN Germany's defense minister on Tuesday dismissed the head of the country's elite special forces after the general praised a conservative lawmaker under investigation for alleged anti-Semitic remarks. Brig. Gen. Reinhard Guenzel, the commander of Germany's special forces since 2000 and a 40-year veteran of the armed forces, was fired after writing a letter to lawmaker Martin Hohmann, praising his "courage" for a speech that drew criticism from across the political spectrum and legal action from Jewish leaders. "It was an excellent speech, of a courage, truth and...