German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Israel on December 6 and 7 for his first official visit since taking office, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 28, 2025. Reuters/Lisi Niesner
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Israel on December 6 and 7 for his first official visit since taking office, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
Merz is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 7 to discuss bilateral relations, the ceasefire in Gaza and other international issues, and will also visit the Yad Vashem memorial and hold talks with local representatives from society, the spokesperson added during a regular government press conference.
Germany has long been one of Israel's staunchest supporters, but has also criticized Netanyahu's government over its strategy in the devastating Gaza war.
This month, the German government moved to resume weapons sales to Israel that it had been suspended since August over the war, but said the decision is subject to the observance of the ceasefire and the large-scale provision of humanitarian aid.
(Reporting by Thomas Seythal
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Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors met Tuesday at the State Department for a fourth round of direct talks, even as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued unabated on the ground.
Benjamin Netanyahu is under criticism at home after U.S. President Donald Trump declared Israel would halt plans to attack Iran ally Hezbollah in Beirut, highlighting pressure the Israeli leader faces ahead of an election polls show him losing.
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