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Netanyahu meets German opposition head, hails ‘special ties’ with Berlin

The Israeli premier called on Germany to help curb Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

Netanyahu, Merz
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosts then-German opposition leader Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem, March 21, 2023. Photo by Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

The two men focused on the countries’ “special relationship” and the potential for expanding ties in a range of areas, foremost security. They also discussed international issues, primarily the war in Ukraine.

Netanyahu called on Berlin to help curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile programs.

Among those participating in the meeting were Israeli National Security Council Director Tzachi Hanegbi and German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert.

Last week, Netanyahu traveled to Berlin for a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

At a Holocaust memorial, the premier made an indirect reference to Israel’s efforts to prevent Iran from threatening the Jewish state with nuclear weapons.

“The calls to destroy the Jewish people have not ended. The main lesson we have learned is that when we are faced with such evil, we must stop the evil plans early to prevent a disaster,” said Netanyahu.

“Jews make up a small fraction of San Francisco’s population, yet anti-Jewish bias accounted for nearly half of all hate crimes reported so far this year,” Marc Levine, of the ADL, told JNS.
The nations agreed on a coordination mechanism for citizen services following Jerusalem’s prolonged humanitarian assistance deployment to the country.
The meeting “focused on strategies to strengthen Jewish safety and belonging, maintain candid lines of communication and collaborate on issues where we have shared values and goals,” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s office to Combat Antisemitism, told JNS.
“They’ve done a lot of radical crazy stuff, but this goes beyond the pale,” Dov Hikind, a former New York state Assembly member, told JNS.