Merkel to meet Israeli PM in Jerusalem

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Tel Aviv, (Samajweekly) Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem and visit the Holocaust memorial museum on Sunday, authorities said.

The Prime Minister’s office has published Merkel’s itinerary for her planned farewell visit to Israel, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Sunday morning, she will participate in a special cabinet meeting to be held in her honour, followed by a joint press conference alongside Bennett.

“The Prime Minister and the outgoing Chancellor will discuss regional threats and challenges, primarily Iran’s nuclear program, and the importance of preserving the power of the State of Israel on all levels,” the statement read.

Later, she will visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem.

A museum spokesperson said in a statement that during her visit, Merkel will participate in a memorial ceremony and “will rekindle the eternal flame and lay a wreath in the memory of the 6 million (Jewish) victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators”.

It will be Merkel’s sixth visit to Yad Vashem.

Merkel will also host a round table with Israeli hi-tech entrepreneurs.

This is Merkel’s seventh visit to Israel during her 16 years in office.

Her last visit to Israel took place in 2018.