Germany: Relationship with Israel ‘Unchanged' After Netanyahu Cancels Meeting to Protest Sit-Down with Anti-IDF Groups

The Algemeiner reports: German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel moved quickly to defuse a diplomatic row with Israel on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a face-to-face sit-down in protest of Gabriel’s meeting with a far-left Israeli group during an official visit to the Jewish state.

“My relationship with Israel, and Germany’s relationship to Israel, will not be changed by this in any way,” Gabriel said, after learning that Netanyahu had axed their meeting. Netanyahu was furious over Gabriel’s decision to meet with Breaking the Silence — an NGO that releases anonymous testimonies purportedly from IDF soldiers. Many of the testimonies accuse Israel of committing war crimes.

In a terse statement, Netanyahu’s office commented: “Imagine if foreign diplomats visiting the United States or Britain met with NGOs that call American or British soldiers war criminals. Leaders of those countries would surely not accept this.”