An Israeli government spokesperson has confirmed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled a joint summit with the government of Israel, with reports that it was partly due to Israel’s new law to seize private Palestinian lands.
The official reasoning given for the cancellation was the scheduling constraints due to Germany’s elections in September. However, sources say that there was great dismay against Israel’s new law and that the German government has initiated a number of public and diplomatic steps to express their disapproval of the legislation.
“Our trust in the Israeli government's commitment to the two-state solution has been fundamentally shaken," Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated. "We hope and look forward to the Israeli government renewing its commitment for the two-state solution to be reached through negotiations, and prove it by actual steps in accordance with the Middle East Quartet's demand."
The summit was originally initiated during Ehud Olmert’s term to strengthen relations between the two countries, and has been held in both Berlin and Jerusalem.
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