Germany objects after Israeli settlers threaten lawmakers

The German government expressed its consternation Friday after Israeli settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron threatened and insulted a visiting German parliamentary delegation.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said it had sent a note of protest to Israel's Foreign Ministry about Wednesday's "regrettable" incident and it had contacted the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"This is a very unhappy incident that we took note of with great surprise," the spokesman said.

Delegation member Jerzy Montag said Wednesday Israeli police did nothing to protect them and they have changed the program for their one-week visit as a result.

The delegation of German members of parliament arrived in Hebron Wednesday. As they approached the Tomb of the Patriarchs, several Israeli settlers and right-wing activists began calling out insults towards the lawmakers until a local police force stepped in and came between the two parties.

The officers then escorted the German group until their departure.

On Thursday the legislators, members of the German parliament's law committee, issued a statement saying they had been cursed and threatened by the settlers and forced to break off their visit after Israeli troops refused to intervene.

''The Israeli police and army showed no willingness to step in and said they couldn't guarantee the safety of the delegation,'' the statement said. ''In order to give the peace process a chance, the members of the law committee, as friends of Israel, appeal to the Israeli authorities to rein in the fanaticism of Jewish settlers.''