German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Israel on Sunday for a three-day official visit. She will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, attend a special cabinet session in her honor, and visit Kibbutz S’dei Boker, the burial site of David Ben-Gurion. Ms. Merkel is also scheduled to address a special Knesset session in her honor, in her native German.

The chancellor is accompanied by a number of her ministers and members of parliament, an official entourage coinciding with Israel’s 60th anniversary which will be marked this Independence Day.

Chancellor Merkel was met in Ben-Gurion International Airport by a high-level entourage which included President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Her first stop following the official welcoming ceremony will S’dei Boker, where she will lay a wreath on the grave of the late Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister.

Chancellor Merkel will visit Yad Vashem on Monday, followed by her attendance in a special cabinet meeting, which will be concluded with a press conference.

On Tuesday, she will attend a special Knesset plenum session in her honor and address the forum in German. Members of Knesset Prof. Aryeh Eldad and Uri Ariel have expressed their objections to the chancellor addressing the Israeli parliament in German. Also scheduled to address the special Knesset session are Prime Minister Olmert, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

During their working meeting, the prime minister will undoubtedly address Israel’s growing concerns vis-à-vis Iran, as well as discuss Germany’s ongoing efforts as a negotiator towards obtaining the release of IDF soldiers being help captive by Hamas and Hizbullah.

[Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel]