Germany must remember Holocaust crimes, says Merkel in Jerusalem

Jerusalem : Germany has a responsibility to remember the crimes of the Holocaust, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday during her visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial here.

Writing in the Yad Vashem visitor's book, Merkel, who began her two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday, said her country was also committed to fighting anti-Semitism, hatred and violence.

The Chancellor was then received by the University of Haifa President, Ron Robin, who will later award her with an honorary doctorate degree, Efe news reported.

Merkel and her delegation of ministers were scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for inter-governmental talks that were on hold for almost a year and a half, amid German objections to Israel's construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry said the talks would focus on security, scientific, economic, cultural and cyber cooperation.