BICOM

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Israel on Wednesday to attend the annual Israel-Germany intergovernmental meeting.

Merkel arrived with a delegation of more than 12 ministers from the Federal Government, including the ministers for foreign affairs, finance and interior as well as the head of the antisemitism commission and business leaders.

Ahead of the visit, Merkel said: “Germany and Israel are connected with a unique relationship. Out of the heritage of our history, out of the break of civilisation that was the Holocaust, we Germans have a special responsibility for the relationship with Israel. We can be very thankful that today we’re close partners and friends.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu hosted a dinner for the German delegation at his official residence. Today the Israeli Cabinet and the German Government delegation will hold their seventh inter-governmental meeting. They are expected to sign a number of memoranda of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in the areas of artificial intelligence, cyber defence and nanotechnology, scientific cooperation in electrochemistry, oceanographic research and cancer research, financial system technologies, and culture.

On Thursday morning the Chancellor visited Yad Vashem to lay a memorial wreath from the German Government and was awarded an honorary doctorate at an event at Haifa University.

Merkel and Netanyahu will also meet privately to discuss Iran and the situation in Gaza. Merkel is also expected to express EU concern over the expected demolition of Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank.