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Socialist Group in EP wants Netanyahu to apologise to German FM

BRUSSELS, April 25 (KUNA) -- The Socialist and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament condemned Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to call off a meeting with the German Foreign Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, in Jerusalem.
The meeting was cancelled at the last minute due to Gabriel's plan to visit two Israeli Human Rights NGOs, Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem, which are critical of Israeli settlement policies.
"This overreaction from Prime Minister Netanyahu is indeed a distraction from the main problems in the Middle East which the Israeli government has not addressed," said S&D vice-president Elena Valenciano in a statement.
"Instead of searching for a way to find peace with Palestine, the Israeli government insults the German Foreign Minister, a friend of democracy," she noted.
"As S&Ds we will not accept this behaviour, which is not justified at all, and therefore ask for an apology from the Israeli Prime Minister to the German people and their Foreign Minister" added the statement.
S&D is the second-largest group in the EP. (end) nk.bs