BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday it was “regrettable” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied her foreign minister a meeting after the diplomat held talks with rights groups.
Merkel’s spokesman said that talks with non-governmental organizations were common during foreign travel and should not set off a rift between allies.
“The chancellor finds it regrettable that a meeting between Foreign Minister (Sigmar) Gabriel and Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Netanyahu did not take place,” he told reporters at a regular government briefing.
“It should not be problematic for foreign visitors to meet with critical representatives of civil society.”
Netanyahu called off the planned meeting Tuesday with Gabriel after the German diplomat decided to go ahead with talks with Israeli rights groups Breaking The Silence and B’Tselem.
Netanyahu’s rare move marked an affront against one of Israel’s closest international partners.
Due to its historical responsibility as the perpetrator of the Holocaust that killed six million Jews, Germany has not only been a staunch ally of Israel but has also been cautious about openly criticizing the Jewish state.
But Netanyahu — Israel’s most right-wing leader to date — has irked Berlin by pressing on with settlement building in the Palestinian territories despite repeated warnings from world powers that it would harm any prospects of peace.
Merkel had already in February postponed annual bilateral consultations after her government questioned Israel’s commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Merkel regrets Israeli snub of German foreign minister
Merkel regrets Israeli snub of German foreign minister
France’s Macron laughs off ‘harmless’ eye condition as he addresses troops
French President Emmanuel Macron joked about a “completely harmless” eye condition on Thursday during a New Year address to France’s armed forces.
“Please pardon the unsightly appearance of my eye,” Macron said at the beginning of his speech. “It is, of course, something completely harmless.”
Macron appeared with a puffy, red eye during his speech at the military base in Istres, in southern France. He earlier wore sunglasses during an outdoor troop inspection.
“Simply see an unintentional reference to the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ ... For those who catch the reference, it is a sign of determination,” he joked, in an apparent reference to the name of the hit theme song by American rock band Survivor from the 1982 Rocky III movie starring Sylvester Stallone.
Macron’s speech addressed key challenges for the military in 2026, from France’s accelerated rearmament and continued support for Ukraine, to the decision to send troops to Greenland in a show of support for Denmark.
