Netanyahu says controversial US envoy to Germany a ‘big fan of Israel’
PM has quick meeting at Berlin airport with Richard Grenell, who told Breitbart he wants to ’empower’ the right in Europe
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday held a short meeting with the new US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, who sparked controversy after telling the right-wing Breitbart news site on Sunday that he wanted to “empower” right-wing politicians in Europe.
Netanyahu told reporters that Grenell was a “big fan of Israel.”
The meeting between the two, requested by Grenell and held at Berlin’s airport, was very short due to the prime minister’s tight schedule.
“We thought it would be a courtesy meeting at the airport. He’s a big fan of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “But now, because we’re running late, it will be nothing more than a handshake.”
Grenell, who took up his Berlin post less than a month ago, was quoted by Breitbart London on Sunday expressing his excitement at a “European groundswell of conservative policies” that had come about because of “the failed policies of the left.”
“I absolutely want to empower other conservatives throughout Europe, other leaders,” he was quoted as saying in comments that German politicians and media judged unusually interventionist for a diplomat.
Envoys are normally expected to be non-partisan regarding the internal politics of the countries they are posted in.
A German foreign ministry spokesman said Berlin had “asked the US side for clarification” and that state secretary Andreas Michaelis would re-visit the issue at a pre-arranged meeting with Grenell later this week.
Lars Klingbeil, general secretary of the Social Democrats — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partners — led a chorus of condemnation with a tweet in English addressed directly at Grenell.
I know you are still quite new at your post, but it is not part of the job description of an ambassador to interfere in the politics of his guest country, Mr @RichardGrenell #thankyou https://t.co/Wi5uF9WjCO
— Lars Klingbeil ???????? (@larsklingbeil) June 4, 2018
“I know you are still quite new at your post, but it is not part of the job description of an ambassador to interfere in the politics of his guest country, Mr @RichardGrenell,” he wrote.
Social Democratic lawmaker Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel tweeted that “European citizens don’t need a Trump vassal to tell them who to vote for.”
Belgian Guy Verhofstadt, who heads the European Parliament’s liberal group, also weighed in.
“We have to defend Europe against Trump,” he posted on Twitter.
“It’s not up to his ambassador to influence our elections and steer our society. We respect the sovereignty of the US, they have to respect ours,” Verhofstadt said, adding the hashtag “#GrenellRaus”, German for “Get Grenell out.”
Netanyahu also met Monday with Merkel, whose policies Grenell ostensibly indicated he wanted to see overturned.
Netanyahu left Israel for Berlin on Monday, meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the first leg of a series of visits with European leaders.
Netanyahu indicated before leaving Monday morning that Iran would be the first and only subject on his agenda, though the two also discussed Gaza protests and dormant peace talks.
The prime minister is also slated to sit down with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May during the swing, during which he hopes to win support for amending the nuclear deal signed by western powers with Iran in 2015 and getting Iranian troops out of Syria.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal last month, with Netanyahu’s encouragement and support.
