Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu canceled a meeting with visiting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Tuesday because he insisted on meeting with “organizations that defame IDF soldiers and try to prosecute our soldiers as war criminals.”
Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Michael Oren asked how Germany would react if foreign leaders went there and met with German organizations that portray German soldiers in Afghanistan as war criminals. “We had a situation here that was anomalous, and not in accord with normal behavior between states, certainly not between allied democratic states,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued the following statement on Tuesday: “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.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s policy is not to meet foreign visitors who, on diplomatic trips to Israel, meet with groups that slander IDF soldiers as 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 organizations that call for the criminalization of Israeli soldiers.
“Our relations with Germany are very important and they will not be affected by this.”
{Matzav.com Israel News}
Netanyahu has decided that Israel has some self-pride, and he will not allow himself be like the battered woman who keeps going back to the man who abuses her.