At the end of November, a delegation from the Federal Executive Board of the Junge Union visited Israel. The aim of the trip was to get a first-hand impression of the situation in the country after a year of war and to send a clear signal of solidarity with Israel.
The intensive program began in Tel Aviv, where especially the security situation in the country and the ongoing war were discussed with experts. The focus was on the threat from Iran and the war with Hezbollah in the north. Further, the fate of the 101 hostages, who are still remaining in the Gaza Strip, was omnipresent. Among other, discussions were held with hostage relatives at the Hostage Family Forum. In the evening, the delegation was able to discuss the political situation in the land with young politicians from the political partner spectrum.
The following day, the delegation visited Kibbutz Kfar Azza, which was attacked on October 7, 2023, and the site of the Nova Festival, to see for themselves the extent of the destruction caused by Hamas terrorist attack. In conversations with survivors, they discussed the aftermath, possible reconstruction plans and future scenarios for the region. During a subsequent visit to Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva, the delegation met with Israeli students and exchanged views on anti-Semitism and the situation of Jewish students at universities in Europe. On the following journey to Jerusalem, the delegation stopped briefly at the “Wald der Deutschen Länder” to commemorate the long-standing Junge Union Chairman Philipp Mißfelder. Once in Jerusalem, a discussion followed with experts on various challenges facing Israeli society, such as the effects of the ongoing war on the population, but also aspects such as demographic developments, military service for the ultra-Orthodox and the situation of the Arab-Israeli minority.
In Jerusalem, the delegation visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and laid down a wreath on behalf of the entire Junge Union in memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. This was followed by numerous political talks at the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Knesset - including Parliamentary Speaker Amir Ohana and Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel. The Israeli interlocutors emphasized the importance of the visit at this important time and thanked the group for their ongoing friendship. The Junge Union emphasized that Israel can rely on the solidarity of Germany and that the Junge Union remains firmly on Israel's side, especially in such difficult times as these. There was great agreement on the significance of German-Israeli relations and the importance of further promoting and deepening them.