German Chancellor Angela Merkel will pay a farewell visit to Israel next month at the invitation of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Bennett had invited Merkel to visit Israel in June during a congratulatory call on his taking office and the swearing-in of the new government.
“Germany and Israel are linked by a unique friendship that we want to deepen further. With this in mind, I look forward to working closely with you," Merkel said to Bennett during the call.
Bennett praised Germany’s “ongoing commitment to Israeli security” that was evident in Berlin's support for the Jewish state's "right to defend itself against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza during [May's] Operation Guardian of the Walls," which saw thousands of rockets fired from the coastal enclave toward Israel.
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Then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Merkel during her visit to Israel in 2018
(Photo: AFP)
The last time the German leader visit the Jewish state was in October of 2018 when she held a joint press conference in Jerusalem with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Merkel leaves office in September after 16 years as chancellor, having been elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2009, 2013 and 2018.
While in Israel, she is expected to meet with Bennett and newly-elected President Isaac Herzog.
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Then-President Reuven Rivlin walks with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the President's Residence in Jerusalem
(Photo: AP)
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently visited Israel to personally thank former President Reuven Rivlin before he left office, saying in a joint press conference that he was "honored" to be present in Jerusalem with his delegation before Rivlin's term expired.