The two countries’ traditionally strong ties have been tested amid Israel’s genocidal war on the people of Gaza.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in Israel for his first visit since taking office in May, aiming to reaffirm the traditionally strong ties between the two countries, which have been shaken over the course of Israel’s more than two-year genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza.After a brief stop in Jordan, Merz landed just before 8pm local time (18:00 GMT) on Saturday at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, where he was met by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called him “a friend of Israel” and said Germany was “an important partner”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listMerz also met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem later on Saturday.The German chancellor earlier held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and told reporters they had mostly discussed Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.Merz urged more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and for Hamas fighters to lay down their weapons. He said Jordan and Germany both remain committed to a negotiated two-state solution.In Jerusalem on Sunday, Merz is scheduled to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial before meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Given the dark legacy of Nazi Germany’s industrial-scale murder of Jews, German leaders have long seen unflinching support for Israel as a bedrock of the country’s foreign policy.But Israeli-German ties have become increasingly shaky since October 2023.Merz has repeatedly criticised Israel’s relentless military campaign, which has k …
