BERLIN, Germany — The mayor of Germany’s long-divided capital Berlin, Michael Mueller, on Friday offered some advice to US President Donald Trump: “Don’t build this wall!”
The billionaire-president, holding true to his campaign promise, this week ordered US officials to begin to design and construct a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico border.
While the White House has also threatened to tax Mexican imports to cover its cost, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto cancelled a planned visit to Washington in protest.
Berlin’s mayor said his city — which was split by the Berlin Wall during the Cold War from 1961-89 — “cannot look on without comment when a country plans to build a new wall.”
“We Berliners know best how much suffering was caused by the division of an entire continent with barbed wire and concrete,” he said in a statement, referring to Europe’s “Iron Curtain” division.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller in 2016 (YouTube screenshot)
In the early 21st century, he said, “we can’t just accept it if our historical experience is disregarded by those to whom we largely owe our freedom, the Americans.”
Pointing to the ongoing division of the Korean peninsula and the island of Cyprus, the Social Democrat urged Trump “not to go down this wrong path of isolation and exclusion”.
Mueller also recalled former US president Ronald Reagan’s famous 1987 challenge to then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall!”, and said in his message to Trump: “Dear Mr President, don’t build this wall!”
Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading “Mr. President, walls divide. Build Bridges!” along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. (AFP PHOTO / John MACDOUGALL)
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this