Israel and Germany mark 60 years of diplomatic relations

Germany and Israel will this month celebrate the establishment of diplomatic relations 60 years ago, with reciprocal visits by the presidents of both countries to mark the occasion.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to pay an official visit to Berlin on May 12, reflecting the commencement date of the first formal ties decades ago, his office announced on Monday.

He will return to Israel the following day together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Among other things, Herzog is scheduled to hold talks in Berlin with incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz and other senior government representatives. Merz is set to be sworn in on Tuesday.

The 64-year-old Israeli president will also attend a state banquet at Bellevue Palace, the official residence of the German president.

Together with 69-year-old Steinmeier, he will then visit the Platform 17 Holocaust memorial in the capital's Grunewald district. The site commemorates around 10,000 Jews who were deported from there by train to concentration camps during the Nazi era.

Herzog will also meet more than 100 young Germans and Israelis for a dialogue about their shared past and future.

"The state visit marks a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries and reflects their mutual commitment to deepening their friendship and strategic alliance," his office said.

"It also carries historic significance, highlighting the long-term development of ties between Israel and Germany."

The meetings between the heads of state will additionally focus on efforts to release the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.

They also plan to talk about deepening bilateral cooperation and developing new joint initiatives.

During his stay in Israel, Steinmeier will revisit Kibbutz Beeri on the border with the Gaza Strip, having been there with Herzog a few weeks after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In Jerusalem, a visit to the new National Library is planned as well as the presentation to his counterpart of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour at an official ceremony.

Germany and Israel established diplomatic relations on May 12, 1965, two decades after the end of World War II.