On 10 November 2025, the Israeli Weizmann Institute awarded former German Chancellor Angela Merkel an honorary doctorate ‘in recognition of her unprecedented services to global diplomacy and international partnerships’.
Merkel’s commitment to democracy and ‘her solidarity and friendship with Israel’ were also cited as reasons for the award. Merkel is a strong advocate for education about the Holocaust and its remembrance. Under her leadership, Germany has significantly deepened its relations with Israel.
In 2021, the research institute named a scholarship after the Chancellor, who in 2008 became the first German Chancellor to address the Knesset. In her speech, she also coined the term ‘German raison d’état’ with regard to Israel’s security.
source and detailed article: israelnetz (in German)