Germany and Israel: 'brothers in arms'

German officers visit Jerusalem's holocaust memorial

German officer cadets have been taking part in unprecedented training exercises with the Israeli army.

The three-week exercise is the first time that German troops have trained in a non-Nato country.

And more than 50 years since the Holocaust, the choice of Israel has special significance.

The BBC Middle East Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, reporting from northern Israel, says: "For the German soldiers these exercises are a valuable opportunity for a peace-time army to train with a force engaged in war.

"But this programme isn't just about better relations between two armies - it is about better relations between two peoples."

Christian Muth: "learning from the past"

Christian Muth, of the German Army, said: "The point of coming here is not to overcome the past, because you can't overcome something that has already happened.

"The point of coming here is to show that we are a new generation - that we are fully aware of the past and will prevent it from happening again."

Yoel Strick, the Israeli Brigade Commader, said: "All of us know the past. I think that today they are like us - just like us."