Merkel was in Israel for a visit marking the end of her 16 years in office.  She held a one-on-one meeting with Bennett, joined a full cabinet meeting and met with President Isaac Herzog.

Merkel and Bennett also visited Yad Vashem together and had dinner together. She also plans to meet with Israeli hi-tech leaders and participate in a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Merkel said she had tried to strengthen the relationship between Israel and Germany together with all members of her government.

“It is not only matters that affect our past that play a part, but also our look to a common future,” she said. “However, it is fair to say that I continue to consider it a stroke of good fortune given to us by history that after the crimes against humanity of the Shoah, it has been possible to reset and to reestablish relations between Germany and Israel to the extent that we have done.”

Kancelarka Merkel boravi u dvodnevnom posjetu Izraelu na kraju svojih 16 godina na vlasti.

Premijer Bennett: "Ponekad lider čini duboku razliku i mislim da je vaše vodstvo utrlo temelje za stalnu predanost Njemačke sigurnosti Izraela i mi to izuzetno cijenimo."

Merkel  je održala je sastanak  s Bennettom, pridružila se punom sastanku vlade i sastala se s predsjednikom Isaacom Herzogom.

Merkel i Bennett također su zajedno posjetili Yad Vashem i zajedno večerali. Također se planira sastanak  s izraelskim voditeljima  visoke tehnologije i sudjelovati na konferenciji u Institutu za studij nacionalne sigurnosti u Tel Avivu.

Merkel je rekla da je pokušala ojačati odnose između Izraela i Njemačke zajedno sa svim članovima svoje vlade:

"Ne igraju ulogu samo pitanja koja utječu na našu prošlost, već i naš pogled na zajedničku budućnost", rekla je. “Međutim, pošteno je reći da i dalje smatram da je to sreća koju nam je povijest dala da je nakon zločina protiv Shoah protiv čovječnosti bilo moguće resetirati i ponovno uspostaviti odnose između Njemačke i Izraela. u mjeri u kojoj smo to učinili. "

Premijer Bennett je još rekao:

“You, chancellor, have served for years as the moral compass of the entire continent of Europe, drawing an uncompromising line of support for Israel.”

Bennett called on the ministers in his cabinet to advance cooperation with Germany in helping Holocaust survivors, increasing economic ties, especially in the areas of innovation and the environment and strengthening relations between members of the younger generation...

At the memorial, Bennett said he thinks “the most important lesson is the most obvious and simple of them all: The Jewish people’s place is here in the Land of Israel.”