JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Germany's likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz told Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that he would invite him to Germany in defiance of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Israeli prime minister's office said on Monday.

Friedrich Merz vows to 'find a way' for PM to travel to and from Germany without arrest; premier hails Merz for 'openly defying ICC's scandalous decision' to accuse him of war crimes

The Christian Democrats won with 28.6% of the vote while the far-right Alternative for Germany came second with 20.8%.