German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is not making promises, but it does appear he will be meeting with left-wing NGOs in Israel despite being instructed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to meet with them since they work against Israel in the international arena.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to prevent the senior foreign official from meeting with representatives of B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence, as both organizations have told the international community that IDF soldiers are guilty of war crimes.

Israel recently canceled a planned meeting between PM Netanyahu and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after he met with B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence. This led to increased tensions between Berlin and Jerusalem. Steinmeier, a former German Foreign Minister, is scheduled to arrive in Israel next week, this time as President of that country.

Ynet reports at present, Steinmeier’s itinerary has not been finalized and the Prime Minister’s Office is working to determine if he plans to meet with the extreme left-wing organizations or not. However, the President is unwilling to promise he will not meet with the organizations, which may lead to PM Netanyahu refusing to meet with the German President.

President Steinmeier is also scheduled to meet with President Reuven Rivlin.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)