Heiko Maas is expected to tell the Israeli leadership that Berlin considers its strong alliance with Jerusalem to be important, and wants it to continue, but that Germany strongly opposes annexation, which will harm Israel’s ties to Germany and its relationship with the European Union.

As it will take the EU presidency of Council of Ministers from July 1, Germany might be willing to play a diplomatic ‘’buffer’, moderating possible punitive measures from the European Union if the annexation plan goes forward.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will be on Wednesday the first high-ranking foreign government official to visit Israel since the corona pandemic, a visit which is described by the German press as ‘’delicate’’ as he will discuss with the new Israeli government the issue of the ”annexation” of parts of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and President Trump’s peace plan.

During his short visit, Maas will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenasi and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, a German spokesman said in Berlin.

The trip is the “first opportunity for a personal and intensive exchange with the new Israeli government,” the spokesperson added. .

Talks will deal with bilateral and regional issues, “including the future of the Middle East peace process”.

Maas will not make the ‘’usual’’ visit to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah due to to the “difficult conditions” of the corona pandemic. However, the German minister will have a video conversation with the PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtaje from Jordan, during the the second stop on the trip, where he is due to meet Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

The new Israeli government was sworn in on May 17 after an unprecedented political stalemate with three elections within a year.

The most sensitive issue of Maas’ visit will be the planned annexation (or putting under Israeli sovereignty) parts of the est Bank, including the Jordan Valley, based on Trump’s Middle East plan. According to the Israeli coalition agreement, such an annexation could start on July 1, which is also the day Germany will assume the presidency of the European Union and the presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

At a meeting of the 27 EU Foreign Ministers last May, opinions on this issue differed. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell and several EU leaders have been working in the last few weeks to discourage any initiative towards annexation which they consider ‘’a violation of international law.’’

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to be determined to move ahead with annexing all the settlements and the Jordan Valley, a total of some 30 percent of the West Bank, provided he has American support.

The new Foreign Minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, appears to be more cautious about the consequences of such a move on the international scene.

Maas is expected to tell the Israeli leadership that Berlin considers its strong alliance with Jerusalem to be important, and wants it to continue, but that Germany strongly opposes annexation, which will harm Israel’s ties to Germany and its relationship with the European Union.

As it will take the EU presidency of Council of Ministers from July 1, Germany might be willing to play a diplomatic ‘’buffer’, moderating possible punitive measures from the European Union if the annexation plan goes forward.

The German minister is likely to report to his EU colleagues at the next Foreign Affairs Council on June 15.

Heiko Maas is a member of the SPD, the German Social Democrat party.