Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Ramallah on Monday to discuss the frozen Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
After his meeting with Abbas, Le Drian held a joint news conference with PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki.
The trip was the first official visit to the region for the newly appointed Maas, who spoke with Abbas about the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Maas said the new German government remains committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He also urged the Palestinians "not to tear down bridges," an apparent reference to Abbas' contentious relationship with the United States and with rival Hamas. Maas said peace efforts without the U.S. "would be difficult."
He also acknowledged differences with Israel on the 2015 nuclear deal signed by his country and five other world powers with Iran. But he gave no commitment to altering the deal ahead of the mid-May deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met with Le Drian and Maas on Monday, in his office in Jerusalem.
In his meeting with Maas, Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Germany's contributions to Israel's security.
Maas underscored his country's friendship with Israel, despite differences over the two-state solution and the Iranian nuclear issue.
"Our views differ, but first and foremost we are friends," he said. "We want to hear from our friends their concerns and fears, and therefore I have come here."
Maas has attested to being profoundly affected by the Holocaust, and his schedule included a meeting with Holocaust survivors and a visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem.
"As a German, this was a very moving visit," he said.
He declared his opposition to anti-Semitism and praised the warm welcome he had received.
"I am moved as if I have received a gift that I do not deserve," he said.
In his meeting with Le Drian, Netanyahu expressed solidarity with France in the wake of the Islamic extremist attack last week in which four people were killed, including a police officer who volunteered to save a hostage.
"We grieve with you over the loss of innocent French lives and of a true hero, the officer Arnaud Beltrame, a hero of humanity, not only a hero of France, and we understand this very well," Netanyahu said.
Le Drian thanked Netanyahu, saying Beltrame "paid with his life, his fight against terrorism. We have this fight in common. The basis of everything is security."
Later Monday, Le Drian met with President Reuven Rivlin in the capital.
The two discussed regional issues ranging from Iran to Syria, and Le Drian also spoke about the investigation into the suspected murder of a Holocaust survivor who was found stabbed and burned in her Paris apartment this week.
Earlier in the day, Le Drian had also visited Yad Vashem.
