Israel officially voiced its concerns to Berlin about the German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, based on information from an Israeli official.
The grievance originates from Seibert’s attendance as an observer at a significant Supreme Court session in Jerusalem the previous Tuesday, which Israel views as meddling in its domestic matters.
This concern was relayed by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, through the Israeli ambassador in Germany, Ron Prosor. Channel 13, an Israeli TV outlet, broke the story on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
Seibert mentioned on X that the Israeli Supreme Court was a significant place to be that morning. On that day, the Supreme Court addressed a contentious legal restructuring initiated by the right-wing religious administration.
This session was unique as all 15 justices convened to review eight challenges against a modification to the Basic Law. After a nearly 14-hour session, the Supreme Court’s head, Esther Hayut, provided a 21-day window for proposed changes.
Seibert, who observed the session, expressed on X in Hebrew that this event was pivotal for Israeli democracy. Mentioning his role as a friend of Israel, he stated his interest in the Supreme Court’s proceedings and wanted firsthand experience.
This isn’t the first time Seibert has drawn Israeli criticism; previously, he had participated in a joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial event in a personal capacity, remembering those lost in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This attendance led to an interruption by far-right protestors during an event outside his residence in Herzliya in June.
Last month, the US government granted approval to Israel’s request to export the jointly developed Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany. The deal marked Israel’s largest defense transaction ever.
Israel’s Defense Ministry highlighted that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other high-ranking officials were notified of the US government’s consent for the sale.
The Arrow 3 system, a collaborative effort between the Israel Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency, with manufacturing carried out by Israel Aerospace Industries, represents Israel’s most advanced long-range missile defense technology.
