Israeli PM express gratitude to Germany for boosting Israel's security

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his appreciation to Germany for its "commitment to Israel's security" in a joint press conference Tuesday afternoon with visiting German Defense Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen.

"In the past 50 years, Germany has proven, both in words and in actions, its commitment to Israel's security," Netanyahu said in his office prior to his meeting with Von Der Leyen, according to a statement from his office.

Netanyahu specifically mentioned the deal struck between the Israeli and German defense ministries, over the supply of four Corvette patrol ships to the Israeli navy.

"These ships would help us better protect our country, our coasts and our oil fields which are vital for us," the Israeli prime minister said.

The prime minister also took notice during his statement of the challenges Israel is facing on the security front, including the extremist Islamic State (IS) organization and Al-Qaida. Netanyahu also stressed what he thought the largest threat: the prospects of a nuclear Iran.

"They (the Iranians) are striving to achieve the ability to develop nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said, "they're running a campaign of occupation and undermining the entire Middle East, in Yemen and around Israel's borders," he added, referring to Iran's alleged support of militias in Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. Iran charges its nuclear plan is aimed at peaceful purposes.

He reiterated his objection to the framework agreement signed recently in Switzerland and said a better deal must be struck, ahead of the P5+1 countries (China, U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Russia) June 30 deadline to ink a final agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.

The deal would end over a decade of strife between Iran and the international community, aiming to curb its nuclear program in exchange for lifting the economic sanctions off Iran.

German Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen also expressed her satisfaction with the cooperation between Israel and Germany and the defense front.

"The tie between us is very deep and I hope it would continue to be so," Von Der Leyen said, according to the prime minister's office statement. "The deep bond between the countries in the defense level and in other levels is manifest in about 70 joint projects between the states and joint training," she added.

Regarding the issue of nuclear Iran, she said Germany wishes to listen to Israel's concerns in order to make sure that "the details of the upcoming agreement would be in favor of Israel's defense."

Other than the sale of the four patrol ships to the Israeli navy, the Israeli defense minister also announced on Monday the sale of four Patriot defense missile batteries by Germany to Israel.

Another indicator of the close relationship between Israel and Germany is the current visit by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Germany, where he met on Tuesday afternoon with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Rivlin's visit commemorates the 50 year mark to the establishment of diplomatic ties between Germany and Israel.

Upon its establishment in 1948, the Israeli state didn't have a tie with Germany after the genocide of six million Jews during World War II.

In the early 50's, both countries started negotiating reparations, with the German government vowing to compensate holocaust survivors.

According to the claims committee, Germany had paid 25 billion euros until 2007 in reparations to Israeli holocaust survivors.

Official relations between the countries were announced in 1965. Since then there have been constant mutual state visits by German and Israeli statesmen and there has been vast cooperation between the countries in trade, research and in military cooperation. Endit