German Politician Visits Israel and Lebanon for Emergency Discussions
Green Party's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock heads to Israel amid mounting tension between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hisbollah militia. A representative from the German Foreign Office in Berlin disclosed that the issue of a two-state solution will be addressed, as it was in past visits.
This marks Baerbock's 8th trip to Israel following the gruesome terrorist attack by Islamic Hamas on October 7, 2021. Her previous visit was on April 17, during which she conversed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A two-state solution denotes a separate Palestinian state existing harmoniously alongside Israel. Similarly, Netanyahu, like Hamas, is against this idea.
As per the rep, Baerbock will first participate in the regular EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, where discussions on collective backing for Ukraine against Russian hostility and the state of affairs in the Near and Middle East will occur.
At the Herzliya Security Conference of the Institute for Policy and Strategy and the Reichman University near the bustling metropolis Tel Aviv, German Foreign Minister Baerbock will deliver a speech on Monday evening. On Tuesday, discussions with Palestinian Authority President Mohammed Mustafa in Ramallah are scheduled to address the condition in the West Bank and the reform initiatives of the PA. A meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz in Jerusalem is also on the agenda.
On Tuesday evening, Baerbock plans to converse with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut. The anticipated talks will focus on the precarious and dangerous situation along the Israel-Lebanon border. The Israeli military lately approved plans for an offensive in Lebanon, leading to apprehensions about an intensification of the conflict with the Hisbollah militia.
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During her visit, Baerbock is expected to bring up the topic of crisis talks regarding the Israel-Lebanon border situation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The Israel war tensions along the border, driven by the Israeli military's approved offensive plans and the actions of the pro-Iranian Hisbollah militia, have heightened concerns.
After addressing the crisis talks in Lebanon, Baerbock will continue her discussions with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, focusing on the situation in the Middle East and the possibility of finding a peaceful resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, a topic that has been a recurring theme in her visits to Israel.
