AJC: German Chancellor Kohl 'Always a Champion of European Unity'

The American Jewish Committee on Saturday said former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who passed away Friday at 87 years old, was "champion of European unity."

"Chancellor Helmut Kohl skillfully presided over the historic task of German reunification, and ensured that Germany was always a champion of European unity and the transatlantic alliance," said AJC CEO David Harris, who met with Kohl a number of times in Bonn, then Germany's capital.

AJC was the first Jewish group outside Germany to support German reunification.

Added Harris: "He was also a cherished friend of the Jewish people and Israel, and frequently spoke about his desire to restore a Jewish presence in his country after the devastation wrought by the Nazi Final Solution."

Kohl led Germany for 16 years and is credited with bringing East and West Germany together after the fall of the Berlin Wall.