<p class="bodytext">Israeli fighter jets landed in Germany for the first time on Monday, in a display of the two countries’ strong ties more than 75 years after the end of the Nazi Holocaust and as the German military is struggling with signs of rising far-right sentiment in its ranks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beyond the symbolism, the cooperation is a chance for Germany’s outdated armed forces, which are considered a critical component of NATO, to learn from Israel’s highly trained fighter pilots. For Israel’s military, it is an opportunity to learn about NATO techniques and train in new airspaces, expanding its ability to carry out operations on different types of terrain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“After the crime against humanity that was the Shoah, it is a moving sign of our friendship today that we are flying side by side with the Israeli air force for the first time in our history,” Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, the head of Germany’s air force, said in a statement, using the Hebrew word that refers to the Holocaust.</p>.<p class="bodytext">German pilots have twice traveled to Israel for joint maneuvers in recent years, but this is the first time the Israelis are taking part in such exercises on German soil and over German air space. The first of six Israeli air force F-16 fighter jets touched down Monday at the Nörvenich air base in western Germany, where they will hold joint training exercises over the next two weeks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The historical significance was highlighted by Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, the Israeli air force’s commanding officer, who noted that for many of his fighters, past links to Germany were personal — and tragic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Many IAF fighters are grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and in the ’60s and ’70s of the last century, half of the IAF’s pilots were Holocaust survivors themselves — and yet we believe this is the right thing to do,” he said at a ceremony last week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the military maneuvers begin, a delegation will visit the memorial at the Dachau concentration camp. A joint formation will also fly over the Fürstenfeldbruck air base near Munich in honor of the 11 Israeli athletes who were held hostage and killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Israeli fighter jets landed in Germany for the first time on Monday, in a display of the two countries’ strong ties more than 75 years after the end of the Nazi Holocaust and as the German military is struggling with signs of rising far-right sentiment in its ranks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Beyond the symbolism, the cooperation is a chance for Germany’s outdated armed forces, which are considered a critical component of NATO, to learn from Israel’s highly trained fighter pilots. For Israel’s military, it is an opportunity to learn about NATO techniques and train in new airspaces, expanding its ability to carry out operations on different types of terrain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“After the crime against humanity that was the Shoah, it is a moving sign of our friendship today that we are flying side by side with the Israeli air force for the first time in our history,” Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, the head of Germany’s air force, said in a statement, using the Hebrew word that refers to the Holocaust.</p>.<p class="bodytext">German pilots have twice traveled to Israel for joint maneuvers in recent years, but this is the first time the Israelis are taking part in such exercises on German soil and over German air space. The first of six Israeli air force F-16 fighter jets touched down Monday at the Nörvenich air base in western Germany, where they will hold joint training exercises over the next two weeks.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The historical significance was highlighted by Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin, the Israeli air force’s commanding officer, who noted that for many of his fighters, past links to Germany were personal — and tragic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Many IAF fighters are grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, and in the ’60s and ’70s of the last century, half of the IAF’s pilots were Holocaust survivors themselves — and yet we believe this is the right thing to do,” he said at a ceremony last week.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Before the military maneuvers begin, a delegation will visit the memorial at the Dachau concentration camp. A joint formation will also fly over the Fürstenfeldbruck air base near Munich in honor of the 11 Israeli athletes who were held hostage and killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics.</p>