German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert, a former spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, will conclude his four-year term and be replaced by Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, who has served as Germany’s ambassador to Moscow.
Seibert, who has been in the post since July 2022, was deeply involved in Israeli public life. He quickly learned Hebrew and shared videos documenting his daily experiences, including hikes along the Israel National Trail. During the war, he repeatedly voiced Germany’s support for Israel’s right to exist and defend itself and took an active role in efforts to secure the release of hostages.
Steffen Seibert takes part in efforts to advance a hostage deal, August 2024
(Video: Miki Schmidt)
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Steffen Seibert at a rally in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, March 2024
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
Meanwhile, Seibert did not shy away from criticizing Israeli policy. The Foreign Ministry filed a formal complaint after he attended a High Court hearing in September 2023 on the reasonableness doctrine, a key element of the government’s controversial judicial reform push, viewing his presence as interference in Israel’s internal affairs. Seibert said at the time that he had observed the hearing and posted a video from the court as part of his monitoring of Israeli democracy.
Lambsdorff’s appointment to Israel is part of seven key ambassadorial appointments by the German government, including postings to New Delhi, Brazil, Moscow, Beijing, Mexico and Madrid. Since completing his diplomatic training, Lambsdorff has held several roles at Germany’s embassy in Washington and at the Foreign Ministry headquarters. He was elected to the European Parliament in 2004 and to Germany’s Bundestag in 2017, where he served on the defense and foreign affairs committees.
He has served as ambassador to Moscow since summer 2023, one of the most demanding posts for German diplomats, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the near-total breakdown in diplomatic relations between the countries. During his tenure, Lambsdorff openly and sharply criticized Russia’s policies and its invasion of Ukraine.
Lambsdorff, 59, is a member of the Free Democratic Party, a liberal party whose voter base is largely upper middle class and which advocates free markets, privatization of state-owned companies, reduced unemployment benefits and tuition fees at universities. The party maintains a clear pro-Israel stance, recognizing Israel’s right to exist and supporting closer trade and security ties. It is considered a leading voice against antisemitism and Islamist extremism in Germany. At the same time, in line with mainstream European policy, it supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lambsdorff, whose father was also a diplomat and ambassador, has expressed similar views on Israel and the conflict, previously calling for renewed talks under international supervision. He has also voiced doubts about the existence of a suitable Palestinian partner for such negotiations.