Germany angered by leaks on Baerbock, Netanyahu clash, files complaint
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock describes the leaks as "distorting".
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German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock gives a press conference on the last day of the G7 foreign ministers meeting on the small island of Capri on April 19, 2024. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Germany said Friday it complained to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's staff after what it described as a "distorted" account of a clash between German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and the Israeli premier was leaked to the press.
Israeli media and Germany's tabloid Bild had reported that a row erupted between Netanyahu and Baerbock during the German Foreign Minister's visit to "Israel" this week.
Asked about the reports after a G7 foreign ministers' meeting on the Italian island of Capri, Baerbock said that "we are not reporting on confidential discussions."
"The German ambassador was in contact with the prime minister's staff and made it clear what we think of such distorting publications," she said.
"Regret was expressed to us regarding the publication, whose source is unclear."
According to the media reports, Baerbock was shown footage of markets with abundant supplies of food in the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as images of beaches in the coastal territory where people were sunbathing and swimming. Netanyahu then said the footage stand proof there was no humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
Baerbock responded by criticizing the Israeli Prime Minister over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying the images did not reflect the true catastrophic situation there and citing the threat of famine, reportedly prompting Netanyahu to claim that "Israel" was "not like the Nazis."
Germany's top diplomat has consistently expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and has repeatedly called on "Israel" to increase the entry of humanitarian aid to the Strip.
But Ophir Falk, a diplomatic advisor to Netanyahu, told Bloomberg that Baerbock and the Israeli premier had a "good meeting," claiming that he was unaware of any leaks from Netanyahu's office or complaints from the German government.
He also mitigated concerns about a potential famine in Gaza, stating that "many are overweight and none suffer from malnutrition."
It is noteworthy that Germany faces charges from Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it is "facilitating the commission of genocide" against Palestinians with its military and political support for "Israel".
Lawyers for Nicaragua argued that Germany is in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust, by providing "Israel" with weapons.
