Federal President Joachim Gauck and Daniela Schadt travelled to Israel and Jordan from 5 to 8 December.

The visit to Israel on 5 and 6 December marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and focused on science and culture. The Federal President’s programme included a concert in Tel Aviv by the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester as well as a visit to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

With his official visit to Jordan on 7 and 8 December, the Federal President paid tribute to Jordanian society’s achievement in finding shelter for hundreds of thousands of refugees. As well as political talks, the programme included a meeting with representatives of civil society and a visit to a refugee camp.

Overview of the programme:

Saturday, 5 December 2015

• Flight to Tel Aviv
• Israeli Opera
  Welcome by Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel, and Mrs Nechama Rivlin
  thereafter: words of welcome by the Federal President at a concert of the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel

Sunday, 6 December 2015

• Office of the Prime Minister
  Talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel
• Hebrew University, Jerusalem
  Address on the occasion of the awarding of an honorary doctorate to the Federal President
  thereafter: talk to students
• Residence of the President of the State of Israel, Jerusalem
  Meet the press
• Flight from Tel Aviv to Amman

Monday, 7 December 2015

• German-Jordanian University
  Talk to students and lecturers
• Husseiniya Palace
  Welcome with military honours by King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
  thereafter: talks
• Café books@café
  Talks with representatives of civil society
• Husseiniya Palace
  Dinner hosted by the King

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

• Azraq
  Visit the refugee camp for Syrian refugees run by the UN Refugee Agency, talk to refugees
• Flight from Amman to Berlin