JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday night, starting a two-day visit to the country.
Merkel landed in Israel's international airport outside Tel Aviv and headed immediately to Jerusalem, with Route 1 highway connecting between the two cities closed to traffic, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement.
Merkel is scheduled to have dinner with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem later on Wednesday.
Her itinerary includes a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum, and meetings with President Reuven Rivlin and Netanyahu.
Talks are expected to focus on the Iran nuclear deal, restarting the talks with the Palestinians, and the West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar, which Israel plans to demolish shortly after Merkel's visit. European countries and human rights organization have urged Israel to cancel the demolition.
Merkel's last official visit to Israel took place in 2014.
