Palestinian Authority officials have accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “offending the Palestinians’ feelings” during her visit earlier this week to Ramallah, where she met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
The accusations, the first of their kind against a European leader, were made by top PA officials only hours after Merkel and her entourage left Ramallah on Monday. “She did everything to provoke the Palestinians during her visit,” said one official. “She showed no understanding for the plight of our people. On the other hand, she appeared to be very biased toward Israel.”
The official claimed that while Merkel refused to meet with families of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, she focused during her talks with Abbas on the need to release kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Schalit, who has been held in the Gaza Strip since last June. In addition, he noted, Merkel met with the families of missing IDF soldiers during her visit to Jerusalem.
At the joint press conference with Abbas, Merkel refused to answer a question about the Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the official added. “She appeared to be obsessed with the case of Gilad Schalit,” he said. “But she refused to even acknowledge the fact that we have more than 10,000 prisoners in Israel.”
Another PA official described Merkel’s visit to Ramallah as “extremely negative and a total disappointment.” He revealed that Abbas had originally requested that the meeting take place in Bethlehem, where Christians are celebrating Holy Week.
“We were hoping to show her the wall that Israel built around Bethlehem, but she refused to go there,” he said. “President Abbas was hoping to draw parallels between Israel’s wall and the Berlin Wall. He wanted to remind Merkel of the days when she lived in East Berlin.”
h/t LGF
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Merkel did many right things. The palestianian whinesacks didn’t get their way. There is a standard of conduct sovereign states are expected to observe. The PA doesn’t observe them. Maybe Israel ought to start arresting PA officials and keep it up until Shalit is released alive. If he is killed, then Israel has every right to execute EVERY PA prisoner they hold.
Hmmm, that’s so very strange. I wasn’t aware that “Palestinians” had feelings…
BTW, the “” in your URL results in WordPress breaking the URL by removing the “” in the trackback URL. Not readily fixable. Tried editing it manually to re-include the “” and no joy.
Thanks David, I will try to take care of that. I appreciate you letting me know!:smile:
Peejz,
is there any other source on this story than the Jerusalem Post?
I think, that it could be true and I somewhere heard that Merkel visitted the Holocaust memorial in Israel, but I am surprised that I didn’t read anywhere else about these reactions by the Palestinian side…
Here are a bunch of links for you Matthias..
Merkel finally offends somebody
Blogger News Network - Apr 4, 2007
In a constructive move that is widely seen as a great step forward in increasing Germany’s international credibility, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has …
Palestinians: Merkel‘s Behavior in Ramallah “Unacceptable†Israel Hasbara Committee (subscription)
Palestinians “offended”by Merkel‘s Israel visit Israel Today
PA upset over Merkel’s pro-Israel stance Jerusalem Post
All Headline News - Jerusalem Post
all 14 news articles »
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: Pussycat for Israelis But …
Al-Jazeerah.info, GA - Apr 2, 2007
Palestinian high-ranking sources expressed disappointment with the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who Forbes Magazine considers to be the world’s …
Merkel ‘Walks Path To Peace’
Totally Jewish, UK - 10 hours ago
A year after her first visit to the Israeli Holocaust memorial, German Chancellor Angela Merkel returned to Yad Vashem this week during a state visit where …
Merkel angers Irish ruling party
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates - Apr 3, 2007
Dublin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has infuriated members of Ireland’s ruling Fianna Fail party by backing opponents Fine Gael to win the country’s …
One man’s mission: To heal Germany’s fractured left International Herald Tribune
all 2 news articles »
Angela Merkel arrives in Beirut
Hindu, India - Apr 2, 2007
Beirut, April 2 (AP): German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Beirut Monday for talks with Lebanese leaders and to inspect a German naval task force …
German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Lebanon
Focus News, Bulgaria - Apr 2, 2007
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Lebanon within her Middle-East trip, the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. Merkel is expected to hold talks …
Gulf Times
Merkel urges Syria to prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon
People’s Daily Online, China - Apr 2, 2007
Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged Syria to prevent arms smuggling from crossing its border into Lebanon and set up diplomatic ties …
Merkel urges Syria to cooperate on Lebanon Turkish Daily News (subscription)
Merkel and Pelosi see Damascus as key to a solution in Lebanon’s … AsiaNews.it
Merkel tells Syria: ‘Stop arms smuggling to Lebanon’ Ya Libnan
Business Day - Malaysia Sun
all 16 news articles »
Merkel calls for independent Lebanon
MRT online, Macedonia - Apr 3, 2007
Chancellor Angela Merkel has wrapped up her three-day trip to the Middle East with a visit on board a German navy ship that’s part of the United Nations …
Ya Libnan
Merkel urges Syria to cooperate & play positive role in Lebanon
Ya Libnan, Lebanon - Apr 2, 2007
Beirut – German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Syria on Monday to play a positive role in Lebanon and to cooperate with international efforts to put the …
Thanks, Peejz!
So if I read stuff like:
“The sources also said that Merkel refused to meet the representatives of the Christian Church in the Bethlehem. “She refused, even during Easter to witness the Israeli measures of restriction on Christians, banning them from entering the holy city of Bethlehem, which is surrounded by the separation wall.”"
…I wonder, why she is head of the Chist-Democratic Union? She does not really seem to care about christian interests…
6- I wonder just how much education you have. Was it Israel that was to take her there? Nope, sure wasn’t.
Another PA official described Merkel’s visit to Ramallah as “extremely negative and a total disappointment.” He revealed that Abbas had originally requested that the meeting take place in Bethlehem, where Christians are celebrating Holy Week. “We were hoping to show her the wall that Israel built around Bethlehem, but she refused to go there,” he said. “President Abbas was hoping to draw parallels between Israel’s wall and the Berlin Wall. He wanted to remind Merkel of the days when she lived in East Berlin.”
Bethlehem Christians Worry About Islamic Takeover in Jesus’ Birthplace
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