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As far as political photographs go, it could go down as one of the most awkward in history.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been caught on camera unintentionally pointing his finger to form a shadow looking like a ‘Hitler moustache’ on German chancellor Angela Merkel’s face.

Inevitably, the photograph, which was taken by Jerusalem Post photographer Marc Israel Sellem, has gone viral on social media, with journalists laughing off the unfortunate mistake.

Mrs Merkel was speaking at a joint press conference with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

At the press conference, she said Germany views Iran as a potential threat not just to Israel, but also to European countries.

But she stopped short of endorsing her host's demand that Tehran give up all sensitive nuclear projects under any negotiated deal with world powers, and reiterated Berlin's opposition to Israeli settlements on occupied land where the Palestinians seek statehood.

Germany is Israel's most important ally in Europe, where the Netanyahu government frets it is losing support given troubled peace talks with the Palestinians.

That makes Merkel's views a bellwether of European sentiment on Middle East issues.

The German chancellor visited Jerusalem with her cabinet to mark almost 50 years of bilateral ties with Israel, which was founded in part as a haven for survivors of the Holocaust.