Ministerial meeting

In regards to “PM sets policy: We won’t meet diplomats who meet with Breaking the Silence” (26 April), will the hypocrisy ever end? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have canceled his meeting with the German foreign minister but as nothing here happens without his approval, the gushing President Reuven Rivlin made sure he was greeted with special warmth and of course the usual photo ops for posterity. Nothing like showing how we are prepared to demean ourselves.

In any event, what’s the big deal with Gabriel meeting Breaking the Silence, which like the rest of the traitors to our country, is allowed to spread their hate. Is Gabriel doing anything worse than Netanyahu who negotiates with the terrorist organization Hamas and agrees to their demands to allow more goods into Gaza, just as he agreed to all their cease fires during Operation Protective Edge and even negotiating with it for the release of our soldiers’ bodies that he did not bring home because he would not fight against Hamas to win? And what about the constant calling on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to return to negotiations so that we can surrender more of our land to that terrorist and his organization that daily calls for our destruction and honors all terrorists that murder Israelis. What the German foreign minister is doing is nothing compared to our shortcomings. It is not hard to believe Gabriel when he implied that Netanyahu was using the issue to gain domestic political points especially with Rivlin doing the honors in his place. EDITH OGNALL Netanya

After canceling a meeting that was to take place with the visiting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel who had ignored Israel’s request that he not meet with subversive groups such as Breaking the Silence why did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feel it necessary to call Gabriel afterward to explain his decision? In doing so, Netanyahu not only weakened his justified cancellation of the meeting but also shamefully provided Gabriel with the opportunity to snub the Prime Minister of Israel by refusing to take his call. Perhaps Israel now requires a minister of explanation. SHIFRA HOFFMAN Jerusalem

I subscribe fully to “The unacceptable behavior of the German foreign minister” (April 27) by Isi Leibler.

Sigmar Gabriel was an official guest of the Israeli government in Israel during the very sensitive Holocaust Remembrance Day.

He spend his precious time here by meeting 2 organizations – B’Tselem and Breaking the Silence – which are deeply discredited in Israeli society and its elected government. This diplomatic and moral affront to his hosts, mainly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is contrary to acceptable diplomatic rules, and in this case, shows lack of sensitivity and moral character.

If Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to foster a friendly relationship with Israel, she must ask her foreign minister to apologize in front of the Israel government, and its prime minister. If not, she should dismiss him. SHLOMO FELDMANN

Givatayim