German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived Oct. 9 in Israel for a two-day visit. It was Merkel’s seventh trip to Israel during her 16 years in office, taking place shortly before she is set to step down. Still, both sides agreed to define her trip as a working visit, not a farewell one. In other words, besides honoring the outgoing chancellor, all of Israel’s pressing strategic issues were put on the table and discussed with her.
On the honoring side, President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and all of his Cabinet ministers went out of their way to show appreciation for Merkel, considered in Jerusalem one of Israel’s greatest friends on the international arena. In fact, Bennett cleared most of his day Oct. 10 to accompany Merkel on her visit.