Steffen Seibert: Auswärtiges Amt dementiert Eingang israelischer Beschwerde über Botschafter
Deutscher Botschafter Steffen Seibert
Foto: Christophe Gateau / dpa
The German ambassador, Steffen Seibert, has faced criticism for visiting the Supreme Court in Israel. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is now defending the diplomat, stating that he is a highly dedicated man with clear principles. Scholz made these remarks in New York, where he is attending the UN Sustainability Summit.
The Foreign Office also defends Seibert and denies reports that Israel has officially complained about Seibert. „Monitoring relevant political, including domestic, developments in the host country is a central task of diplomats,“ said a ministry spokesperson. Seibert had attended a consultation at the Supreme Court on the controversial judicial reform. The Foreign Office described attending such an event as „common practice“.
The spokesperson for the ministry stated that no complaint from Israel has been received at the Foreign Office.
According to an Israeli representative, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is said to have officially lodged a complaint against Seibert with Berlin. Israeli media reported that the German ambassador was accused of interfering in internal affairs. However, a spokesperson for the ministry assured during the government press conference in Berlin that „no complaint from Israel has been received at the Foreign Office.“
According to media reports, the official complaint about the Israeli Ambassador in Berlin, Ron Prosor, was confirmed by the Israeli representative who is familiar with the details. This was also reported by SPIEGEL. When asked if the ambassador may have directly contacted Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Green Party), the spokesperson of the Foreign Office said, „I am not aware of that.“ Baerbock is in New York, where the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly is taking place this week.