GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
No Result
View All Result
Home Headlines

Netanyahu Snubs German Foreign Minister In NGO Row

April 25, 2017
in Headlines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled talks on Tuesday with Germany’s foreign minister in a rare move after the visiting diplomat declined to call off meetings with rights groups critical of Israel’s government.

You Might Also Like

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

Netanyahu’s meeting with Sigmar Gabriel was cancelled after the German diplomat decided to go ahead with talks with Israeli rights groups Breaking The Silence and B’Tselem.

Breaking The Silence seeks to document alleged Israeli military abuses in the Palestinian territories, while B’Tselem has worked on a range of issues and has strongly opposed Israeli settlement building.

Cancelling the meeting was a rare step, but in line with the current right-wing government’s stance against groups it accuses of having political agendas and of unfairly tarnishing Israel.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying, in a reference to Breaking The Silence, “imagine if foreign diplomats visiting the United States or Britain met with NGOs that call American or British soldiers war criminals”.

“Diplomats are welcome to meet with representatives of civil society but Prime Minister Netanyahu will not meet with those who lend legitimacy to organisations that call for the criminalisation of Israeli soldiers.”

It added, however, that “our relations with Germany are very important and they will not be affected by this”.

Gabriel told journalists in Jerusalem that he regretted Netanyahu’s decision, but also said that he did not think it would badly impact relations between the two countries.

He and Netanyahu, who also serves as Israel’s foreign minister, “will find an opportunity to speak with each other on the phone or to meet in an upcoming visit”, he said.

“This does not mean the breaking of diplomatic relations. We need to keep this a little bit in perspective.”

Gabriel earlier told German public television station ZDF that a decision to cancel the meeting would be “extremely regrettable”.

“It is completely normal that we speak with civil society representatives during a visit abroad,” he said.

Gabriel added that it would be “unthinkable” to cancel a meeting with Netanyahu if he met critics of the German government during a visit to Germany.

The two NGOs were due to hold a joint meeting with Gabriel later Tuesday, a source from one of them said.

Such disputes have arisen in the past between visiting foreign officials and Israel’s government.

In February, Israel reprimanded the Belgian ambassador after his country’s premier, Charles Michel, met both B’Tselem and Breaking The Silence during a visit to Israel.

However, there was no public rebuke when British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson met with anti-settlement NGO Peace Now during a visit in March.

Israel has occupied the West Bank for 50 years, and Jewish settlement building in the Palestinian territory has drawn intense international criticism.

Israeli settlements are seen as illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Germany has been among critics of Israeli settlement policy.

A German government spokesman said in February that a summit with Israel planned for May had been delayed, with Israeli media reporting it was because of the Jewish state’s controversial new settlements law.

Israel passed a law in February that legalises thousands of settler homes built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank.

The current government, seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history, has frequently criticised NGOs it accuses of unfairly tarnishing the country’s image.

Last year, Israel’s parliament adopted a law seen as targeting left-wing groups critical of the government by forcing NGOs that receive most of their funding from foreign states to declare it.

The law was criticised by the European Union, which said it risked “undermining” values that the EU and Israel shared.

Both B’Tselem and Breaking The Silence are among groups that have received European support.

Israeli deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely said Tuesday that her ministry for the past couple years was waging a battle against “anti-Israel organisations that are massively funded by European states”.

Gabriel, however, still met President Reuven Rivlin, whose role is mainly ceremonial, on Tuesday afternoon.

After the two men gave speeches, they held a heated meeting lasting more than an hour, a source in the president’s office told AFP.

Rivlin repeatedly called Israel’s army the “most moral in the world”, the source said.

Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.

Tags: ambassadorAshkenazi JewsB'TselemBenjamin NetanyahuBiotechnology & Medical Research - NECBoris JohnsonBreaking the SilenceCharles MichelCivil societycontroversial new settlements lawCorporate Financial Services - NECCriticism of the Israeli governmentDeputy Foreign MinisterdiplomatEuropean UnionForeign MinisterGerman governmentGerman PublicgermanygovernmentisraelIsrael's armyIsrael's governmentIsrael's parliamentIsraeli JewsIsraeli soldiersIsraeliPalestinian conflictJerusalemPeace NowpoliticsPolitics of IsraelpremierpresidentPrime MinisterReuven RivlinSigmar GabrielSilencespokesmanTelevision Broadcastingtelevision station ZDFTzipi HotovelyTzipi LivniUnited KingdomUnited Statesvisiting diplomatWest BankZDF

Related News

Ghanaian Can Travel to South Africa Visa-Free

by
July 10, 2019
0

Citizens of Ghana no longer need a visa to travel to South Africa. This is because the South African Government...

2019 – the Biggest Year yet for Ghanaian Tourism

by
January 24, 2019
0

2018 was a good year for tourism in Ghana with more than GH₵5.8 billion spent in the country's travel and...

Three Britons On Trial In Singapore Accused of Gang-Raping Drunk Woman

by
August 1, 2017
0

Three British men have gone on trial in Singapore today accused of gang-raping a 23-year-old woman while visiting the city-state...

Pakistani Taliban Launches Women’s Magazine

by
August 1, 2017
0

The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday released the first edition of a magazine for women, apparently aiming to convince its target...

Next Post

We'll Resist DCE Appointee From Atiwa West - Atiwa East Youth

Government Lobbies Investors For US$1bn To Implement 'One District, One Factory'

Trending News

Emma M’eni Nwu, Emma M’atamfo Nsere Me(Kyere Me W’akwan)

August 20, 2016

My Hands Are Blessed

August 20, 2016

Kept By The Power Of God

August 20, 2016

About

Read today's latest news headlines from Ghana and Africa. Stay up to date on local business, sports, crime, politics, arts, culture, and more.

Categories

  • Africa & World
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business
  • Business Directory
  • celebrities
  • Computing
  • Diaspora
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Ghana Elections 2016
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • International
  • Internet
  • Jobs
  • lifestyle
  • Music
  • News
  • Offbeat
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Profiles
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Seth Terkper
  • Smart Home
  • Social Networks
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • World News

Tags

accra addo africa Association football Banks - NEC business Business_Finance chairman Donald Trump economy education Entertainment_Culture environment Geography of Africa ghana Ghanaian people government Government of Ghana Human Interest John Dramani Mahama john mahama Law_Crime mahama minister MPs elected in the Ghanaian parliamentary election Nana Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Nana Akufo-Addo National Democratic Congress National Democratic Congress (NDC) New Patriotic Party New Patriotic Party (NPP) nigeria politics Politics of Ghana president Social Issues Social Media Social Media & Networking sports United Kingdom United Nations United States Vice President War_Conflict

Recent Posts

  • Why Ghana and Nigeria Were Not Invited to the Russia-Africa Summit
  • Vice President Bawumia Shares Inspiring Journey from Oxford University to Political Success
List of Ghana Holidays for 2020
Ghana Geocoding
Ghana Cedis Exchange API
Ghana Maps Service
Toyota Cars Auto Auction History
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business Directory
  • Diaspora
  • Top Stories

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com