German FM visits Israel, signs Yad Vashem funding deal

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived on Tuesday for a short visit to Israel as the guest of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. This is the ninth meeting between the two in the past year.

During the meeting, the ministers signed an agreement between the governments of Germany and Israel, under which Germany will provide financial support in the amount of five million euros per year until 2030 to Yad Vashem for the purpose of Holocaust research and documentation, and for conducting education and commemoration activities.

The move was initiated in meetings between Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Wadephul last September in Berlin.

The agreement states that it comes as the governments are “aware of the eternal responsibility of the German people for past events—that is, the events of the Holocaust and their consequences, confronting them and acting to preserve and strengthen the memory of the Holocaust through Yad Vashem.”

During joint statements following the signing ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the two men agreed that U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip must be fully implemented, including the disarmament of the Hamas terror group.

“Israel remains committed to implementing President Trump’s plan in full, with the disarmament of Hamas and all other terrorist organizations and the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip at its core,” Sa’ar said.

“We are very clear that the plan for the Gaza Strip must be implemented in full, and therefore I fully support what you said, Gideon: Hamas must be disarmed,” Wadephul said. “Everyone who signed this agreement must use their influence with Hamas so that the terrorist organization relinquishes its de facto control of the Gaza Strip, grants the Palestinians the freedom they deserve, and does not rearm against Israel.”