Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departs today on a diplomatic visit to Berlin where he will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

This will be their first meeting in their current positions and expresses both the special relations between Israel and Germany and their cooperation on a range of issues.

The two leaders are expected to discuss various diplomatic and security issues, especially Iran and developments in the region. Prime Minister Netanyahu will emphasize the need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will also meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The visit to Berlin will begin with a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Holocaust at Platform 17, with the participation of Prime Minister Netanyahu and German Chancellor Scholz, according to the statement.

Platform 17 is a memorial at Grunewald Station commemorating thousands of Jews who departed on trains from the terminal.

Many former Israelis live in Berlin and some concerns exist about demonstrations against Netanyahu while visiting Germany over the ongoing controversy of judicial reforms.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen called on the European Parliament recently to stop interfering in Israeli matters after the group held a debate on democracy in Israel. Cohen also visited Germany last month for diplomatic meetings ahead of Netanyahu’s visit that focused on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu’s trip also includes plans to soon visit the United Kingdom to meet with its Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The travels also follow a recent visit to Paris last month where the prime minister met with French President Emmanuel Macron in meetings focused on countering the Iranian threat.

Many of the concerns have increased as the International Atomic Energy Agency reported finding uranium enriched to 83.7% purity in Iran.