By Rami Ayyub

JERUSALEM (Reuters). Angela Merkel, outgoing German Chancellor, stood Sunday in Jerusalem bowing over the ashes and remains of Jews murdered in Nazi death camp camps. Merkel pledged Germany’s post-Holocaust security commitment.

Merkel visited Israel for her 8th and Final Visit as she finishes her 16 year term.

Merkel commented on Israel’s security concern and said that the next weeks will be crucial for the success of any nuclear agreement with Iran.

Germany is a strong postwar European ally of Israel. Merkel has tried to foster security and economic relations, but she disagrees with Israel regarding policies concerning Iran and the Palestinians.

According to Bennett’s transcript, she said that “I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that the topic Israel’s Security will always be centrally important and a key topic for every German government.”

Merkel stated, at a later session Bennett’s cabinet meeting, that the history of Shoah (Holocaust), was a unique event and for which the government continues to assume responsibility, in any phase of history including the future.

Merkel lit an everlasting flame at Yad Vashem in Israel, the memorial to six million Jews who were killed during World War Two by Nazism.

Then, she placed a wreath upon a slab where ashes of extermination camps, death camp and other mass killings are buried. She stood still with her head down, in silent silence.

Merkel spoke outside of the chamber and referred to a revival of Jewish life in Germany. She called it “an expression (that) compels [us] to stand firm against anti-Semitism. Hateful acts of violence every day.

Bennett is a nationalist and leads a cross-partisan alliance. He said that Merkel was a moral compass for Europeans who were sometimes divided by Middle East conflict.

Merkel said to Bennett that “sometimes we disagree on questions like whether there should be an two-state solution for the Palestinians.” We agree that there should always be a vision of Israel as a democratic Jewish State.

Following an inconclusive Sept. 26 election, Germany’s Social Democrats are courting https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-greens-say-want-pursue-coalition-talks-with-spd-fdp-2021-10-06 smaller parties to form a coalition that would replace a conservative grouping led by Merkel’s Christian Democrats.

Merkel, who is 67 years old, will resign when a new government forms.