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Minister
Berlin, April 25, 2017 (Reuters/NAN) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled talks on Tuesday with Germany’s visiting Foreign Minister, snubbing Sigmar Gabriel over his decision to meet groups critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
The dispute threatened to widen a rift between Israel and Germany over the Palestinian issue.
Berlin has been increasingly critical of the settlement policies of Netanyahu’s right-wing government in territory Palestinians seek for a state.
“The meeting is cancelled.
“Imagine if foreign diplomats visiting the U.S. or Britain met with NGOs that call American or British soldiers war criminals. Leaders of those countries would surely not accept this.
“On Monday, an Israeli official had said Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, would not see Gabriel if he went ahead with meeting the Israeli group, “Breaking the Silence,’’ David Keyes, a Netanyahu Spokesman said.
The organisation, a frequent target of criticism by the Israeli government, collects testimony from Israeli veterans about the military’s treatment of Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Gabriel said before the cancellation was announced that it would be “a remarkable event, to put it mildly’’, if Netanyahu called off their meeting.
Speaking during a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Gabriel said: “you can absolutely be sure we are committed to the friendship, the partnership and the special relationship with Israel and nothing will change this.’’
Keyes played down the impact of the spat, saying: “our relations with Germany are very important and will not be affected by this.’’
Germany sees itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and the cooperation and trade links are extensive.
The legacy of the Nazi-era Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed during World War Two, means ties were highly charged.
Gabriel said it was normal to talk to civil society representatives in Israel, a view that drew expressions of support from Israeli opposition leaders.
“Imagine if the Israeli prime minister came to Germany and wanted to meet people critical of the government and we said that was not possible, that would be unthinkable,’’ Gabriel said.
A spokesman for “Breaking the Silence’’ declined to comment on Netanyahu’s decision to snub Gabriel.
He refused to also comment on the details of its planned meeting with the German minister, which the Peace Now movement said it would also attend along with the B’Tselem rights group. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Ese E. Ekama