Overview

• Rudolf Dreßler, former German ambassador to Israel and SPD politician, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 84, as confirmed by the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Dreßler served as Germany's ambassador to Israel from 2000 to 2005, during which he played a significant role in strengthening bilateral relations.
• He spent two decades in the Bundestag, where he established himself as a vocal advocate for social policies and workers' rights, including leading the SPD's Working Group on Israel.
• Dreßler is credited with coining the phrase that the security of Israel is part of Germany's state policy, later echoed by Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008.
• In later years, he became a critic of his party's direction, expressing dissatisfaction with its approach to social policy and briefly considering joining the Left Party, though he ultimately remained with the SPD.