Awkward Merkel photo goes viral

An image in which the PM’s finger creates a shadow above the German leader’s upper lip produces headlines, smiles and criticism

An awkward photo of Chancellor Angela Merkel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went viral on Tuesday.

The German leader was in Israel for a 24-hour government-to-government conference, which was full of substance. Merkel reiterated her support for a two-state solution and publicly backed Israel’s security requirements and its demand to be recognized by the Palestinians as a Jewish state.

She also maintained a tough position on settlement expansion in the West Bank, saying it makes a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians less likely.

But the only aspect of Merkel’s trip to really grab international headlines was an image, originally snapped by The Jerusalem Post, of Netanyahu pointing and creating a shadow mustache on the chancellor. One could (and many did) say it made Merkel look like another German leader.

The Washington Post referred to the image as “The most uncomfortable photo in the world.” And Twitter was abuzz, from amused individuals to Al Arabiya, which was cracking jokes:

Oh Heil no: #Netanyahu gives #Germany ’s Merkel a #Hitler moustache http://t.co/Bu8f41dJX6 pic.twitter.com/JPAHJq9CNM

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) February 25, 2014

Some were not so amused. Haaretz’s Anschel Pfeffer called fascination with the photo “stupid, sexist and totally unfair to the Germans.”

Am I the only one that finds the fascination with the #Netanyahu #Merkel mustache photo stupid, sexist and totally unfair to the Germans?

— Anshel Pfeffer אנשיל פפר (@AnshelPfeffer) February 25, 2014