Germany’s president will not meet with Breaking the Silence during his upcoming trip to Israel, Spiegel Online reports.
Instead, Frank-Walter Steinmeier will deliver a speech about the danger to democracy, in which he will praise the controversial NGO. He is expected to quote from a recent speech Amos Oz delivered at the same venue, in which the famed Israeli novelist heaped massive praise on the organization.
However, Steinmeier plans to meet other leftist civil society organizations, his spokesperson told Spiegel Online.
Last month, Prime Minister Netanyahu snubbed German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel because the latter refused to cancel his meeting with Breaking the Silence. Netanyahu subsequently declared that he will not meet with dignitaries who legitimize groups that call for Israelis soldiers to be tried as war criminals.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel before his meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, April 25, 2017. /Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
— Raphael Ahren
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this