Israel Protests German Ambassador’s Attendance at Supreme Court Hearing

Israel has formally complained to Germany after German Ambassador Steffen Seibert attended a pivotal Israeli Supreme Court hearing last week. The hearing examined the legality of a key component of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan, a move that has deeply polarized Israel and teeters the nation toward a constitutional crisis.

The complaint, authorized by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, a close ally of Netanyahu, has ignited an uncommon diplomatic disagreement between the two countries. In response, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his country’s envoy in New York, praising the ambassador as a “committed man with very clear principles.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also supported Seibert, noting that attending public hearings abroad is a routine task for diplomats. Prior to the hearing, Seibert had posted a video on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, under the caption “The place to be this morning,” indicating the importance he attached to the event.

The diplomatic friction emerges as Scholz and Netanyahu are slated to meet Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.