A senior Israeli official confirmed that the prime minister issued an ultimatum to Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel that he would scrap their meeting scheduled for Tuesday if Gabriel met with members of non-governmental organizations Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem.
Gabriel arrived in Israel on Monday evening following a visit to Jordan.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli Foreign Ministry as to whether the German government has responded.
Back in February, Berlin canceled an annual meeting of German and Israeli leaders scheduled for May amid rising frustration with settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
Additionally in the same month, Israel summoned the Belgian ambassador to Tel Aviv after Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel met with Breaking the Silence and B’tselem representatives.
More than 230 Israeli settlements have been built since the 1967 occupation of Palestinian lands.
The international community views the Israeli settlements as illegal under the Geneva Conventions, which forbid construction on occupied territory.
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25 April 2017 - 06:54
News ID: 825840
(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to cancel an upcoming meeting with Germany's foreign minister unless the visiting diplomat cancels an appointment with two groups critical of Israel's actions in the West Bank.
