From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 5, 2025
Herzog and German counterpart to exchange state visits with focus on hostages, Holocaust remembrance
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
President Isaac Herzog will depart for a one-day trip to Berlin on May 12 at the invitation of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Steinmeier will then return with Herzog to Israel for a reciprocal visit, Herzog’s office announces.
In Germany, one of Israel’s closest diplomatic and security allies, Herzog will also meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other government officials.
“The leaders will discuss the paramount effort to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza,” as well as “strengthening bilateral cooperation and developing joint future initiatives,” says Herzog’s office in a statement.
The presidents will visit the Gleis 17 (platform 17) memorial at the Grunewald railway station, from which thousands of Berlin’s Jews were deported to concentration camps during the Holocaust, and meet with Israeli and German youth “for a dialogue on their shared past and future.”
After the trip, Herzog’s office adds, Steinmeier is expected to return with Herzog to Israel for a visit during which the heads of state will tour Kibbutz Be’eri for the second time together since the war outbreak, and Herzog will present his German counterpart with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, awarded to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to Israel or humanity.
Five German nationals remain hostage in the Gaza Strip.
The Times of Israel Community.