Israeli President Rivlin flew to Germany on Sunday for a three-day official visit. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israeli President Reuven Rivlin flew to Berlin on Sunday for a three-day official visit to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and Germany.

German President Joachim Gauck invited Rivlin to make the trip.

“My visit to Germany is, for me, both emotional and deeply significant,” Rivlin said. “Together with the people of Germany, we will mark a long journey, a journey that has brought us from the unforgettable horrors of the past to the shared values of the present and, with cooperation and friendship, will lead us to a promising future.”

“It is important to remember that our friendship is in no way compensation for the Holocaust, it is built on a basis of shared values after Germany accepted upon itself responsibility for that dark period,” he added.

In the five decades since their establishment of diplomatic relations, Israel and Germany have forged close diplomatic, military, economic, and cultural ties.