Germany’s Merkel calls off Israel trip due to Afghan crisis

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says Chancellor Angela Merkel has called off a planned weekend visit to Israel because of the situation in Afghanistan. Merkel was due to travel to Israel on Saturday for her first trip to the country since Naftali Bennett succeeded Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister. Her visit was due to last until Monday. Merkel’s office said Thursday that it was called off in consultation with Bennett “because of current developments in Afghanistan.” Germany is one of the countries that has been scrambling to evacuate from Kabul its own nationals and Afghans who helped its forces during a nearly-two decade deployment in the country.