In welcoming Joachim Gauck, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, to Israel on Tuesday, President Shimon Peres expressed concerns about the Iranian nuclear threat and the wholesale slaughter in Syria.
With regard to the Iranians, he said that even though Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, he is nonetheless preparing for another one.
With regard to Syria, Peres said that the killing of innocent children — regardless of their nationality — at the orders of the president of the state is a crime against humanity.
President Gauck also expressed concern about a nuclear Iran, but said that he was hopeful that the problem could be resolved through negotiation.
He was also optimistic that the Egyptian elections would lead to democracy and was hopeful that Egypt\’s foreign policy would continue with regard to its relationship with Israel.
In the course of his state visit to Israel Gauck will also meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Palestinian leadership in Ramallah and surviving members of Israel’s 1972 team from the Munich Olympics.