PM: Israel-German relations remain strong despite spat
Speaking in an interview with the German magazine Bild, Netanyahu doubles down on reasons for refusing to meet with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, but insists relations remain robust; 'I hope next time Gabriel visits Israel, he meets with me instead of a radical fringe group undermining Israeli security.’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told German media Thursday that he chose to cancel a meeting that was scheduled to take place earlier this week with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, because he refuses to meet with diplomats who meet with organizations who slander Israeli soldiers.
"My rule is simple," Netanyahu said during an interview with the German tabloid Bild. "I will not meet with foreign diplomats who, when visiting Israel, meet with organizations that call our soldiers war criminals. That is the reason the meeting did not happen."
Despite an ultimatium issued by Netanyahu, warning the German foreign minister not to meet with representatives of the left-wing group Breaking the Silence—a group that publishes testimony, often anonymous and unverified, about alleged daily crimes and misconduct former soldiers say they witnessed being committed in the West Bank—Gabriel insisted on doing so.
He also met with representatives from the B'Tselem Israeli human rights center which documents alleged crimes and abuses committed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.
Netanyahu went on to say, "I think it was a particularly insensitive time to seek a meeting like this. These are the days we mourn the murdered members of our people in the Holocaust and our fallen soldiers. The Israeli army is the one force that keeps our people safe today."
He also claimed that he tried to telephone Germany's foreign minister to clear the air but that he refused to take the call; "The German-Israel relationship is very strong and will continue to be so," Netanyahu maintained. "I hope that the next time Gabriel visits Israel, he meets with me instead of a radical fringe group undermining Israeli security."
Germany regards itself as one of Israel's closest allies and the cooperation and trade links are extensive. However, the legacy of the Nazi-era Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed during World War II, means relations are highly charged.
Gabriel, a Social Democrat who has spoken publicly about his rift with his late father, a convinced Nazi, visited the Middle East to press for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
In March, Germany cancelled an annual meeting of German and Israeli leaders planned for May amid rising frustration in Berlin with Netanyahu's West Bank policies.
