Overview
- The German chancellor arrived Saturday, was welcomed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, met President Isaac Herzog, and is scheduled to visit Yad Vashem before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.
- Before flying to Israel, Merz met Jordan’s King Abdullah II and urged increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and a negotiated two-state solution, and he spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas about reforms for a constructive postwar role.
- Berlin’s August pause on certain weapons for use in Gaza was lifted with effect from November 24 after a US-backed ceasefire, which remains fragile as local health authorities report more than 350 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers killed since the truce began.
- Defense ties continue to deepen as Germany activated the first phase of Israel’s Arrow missile defense system under a reported $4.5 billion deal, with Berlin also seeking Israeli help on drone defense.
- Diplomacy is complicated by the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu; German officials say there are no current plans to invite him to Berlin, even as Merz has previously signaled he would seek a way to host him without an arrest.