Foreign
GERMAN President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to outgoing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday during a visit to Jerusalem marking the end of Rivlin’s term in office.
“Dear Ruvi, your term in office is ending, but our friendship remains,’’ Steinmeier said at the end of an emotional address. Rivlin responded with a “thank you’’ in German before the two leaders embraced.
Turning to the recent conflict between Israel and the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Steinmeier said it demonstrated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had in no way eased.
There was no alternative to the two-state solutions over the longer term, he said.
The German president said his talks with Israeli leaders would focus on trying to build a minimum amount of confidence between the warring neighbours.
Germany and Israel had agreed that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons, while there were differences over the right path to this goal, Steinmeier said.
Germany under the leadership of Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel were important partners in the fight against anti-Semitism, Rivlin said.
Steinmeier was to meet Rivlin’s successor, Isaac Herzog, later. Meetings with newly elected Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Jair Lapid were also planned.
NAN
– July 01, 2021 @ 13:20 GMT|
Tags: German president pays tribute to Israel’s Rivlin on leaving office
