President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday, 16 Elul, held a working meeting on the final day of his visit to Germany, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, at the Chancellery in Berlin. During their extended meeting, the President expressed to the Chancellor his appreciation for Germany’s deep commitment to Israel’s security over the years, and to its existence as a Jewish, democratic state.

The President clarified that, “We are hopeful that this commitment between the two countries will continue regardless of the coalition make up in either country”. During their discussion, the President expressed the State of Israel’s willingness to assist and cooperate in every field according to the common needs of both countries, and stressed the great importance of safeguarding the security of the State of Israel in the face of regional instability.

The President stressed to the Chancellor, the State of Israel’s gratitude and appreciation for her ongoing and firm commitment to the security of Israel over the years, in among other ways, in relation to the submarines which were a critical contribution to the security of the State of Israel.

The President noted that Iran was leading the subversion of the Shia youth in Syria and across the Middle East, and that this represented a direct threat to the State of Israel and the stability of the entire region.

As such, stressed the President, Iran was liable to “sink the whole region into war”. In their discussion on the current situation in Syria, the President spoke of the State of Israel’s humanitarian efforts for the sake of those wounded in the fighting in Syria, and of the outstretched hand Israel had offered to Syria’s helpless, even though it was an enemy state.

The President told the Chancellor of the dangerous consequences of Hizbullah’s activities backed by Iran in Lebanon, and said that Hizbullah endangered the local population, and consistently violated UN Security Council Resolutions. In relation to this, the President clarified that the weapons infrastructure that Hizbullah was building may require the State of Israel to respond.

The President and the Chancellor discussed the issue of global Islamic terrorism, and the global threat of ISIS. The President said, “The goal that has been set by the world to overcome it, is important and correct,” and added, “Israel will help in any efforts to realize this goal”. At the end of their meeting, the two leaders discussed the bilateral relations between Israel and Germany, and of the need to continue to deepen this relationship also in the future. The two sides saw the importance that this relationship would stand strong, and would be reflected in a wide range of areas, and not just against a background of disagreements.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/photo credit: Amos Ben-Gershom, GPO)