German-Israeli relations have been under the radar of researchers in the fields of Contemporary History and German-Jewish Studies for decades. The research literature in German and English can be analyzed according to three main paradigms: First, the “Great Men theory,” focusing on Adenauer, Ben Gurion and others who established and shaped these relations; second, the idea of a “moral foreign policy” as an alleged underlying motive on the German side; third, the question whether German-Israeli ties have become normalized or whether they still represent a “special relationship.” The article discusses these paradigms and points out research gaps, such as the Israeli perspective (based on archival material in Hebrew), the role of civil society, and the role of identity politics in German-Israeli relations.