That's fine: Netanyahu and Merkel agree to disagree

Prime Minister Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed to disagree about Jewish construction in 'east' Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, including E-1.

"We agreed that we disagree on this," Merkel said at a news conference with Netanyahu in Berlin.

"We in Germany believe the work on a two-state solution must be continued ... we must keep trying to come to negotiations and one-sided moves should be avoided," she added.

Prior to the conference, Netanyahu went on the offensive in the heart of Europe on Wednesday, saying the EU was rewarding the Palestinians for tearing up the Oslo Accords, the argument that building in E1 breaks up Palestinian territorial contiguity is wrong, and Europeans have a history of first vilifying Jews, then attacking them.

Netanyahu’s comments were made in an extensive interview with the German Die Welt newspaper published online just before his meeting in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany, which strongly backed Israel during Operation Pillar of Defense last month, disappointed Jerusalem by abstaining in the UN vote last week to upgrade the Palestinians’ status to that of non-member observer state.

Berlin, like most of Europe, then slammed Israel for the decision to respond to the UN move by announcing plans to build 3,000 housing units in east Jerusalem and the large settlement blocs, and to push forward planning of the E1 neighborhood linking Jerusalem to Ma’aleh Adumim.

Merkel has been a frequent critic of Israel’s settlement policies, and the chancellor was expected to warn Netanyahu of harm to Israel’s position in Europe if he continues settlement construction.

Netanyahu and Merkel meeting met for 3 1/2 hours, two hours longer than planned. Netanyahu said after the meeting that: "From the conversation it is clear that Chancellor Merkel is a true friend of Israel whose commitment to Israel's security is genuine and unconditional. This was an open and comprehensive discussion on all the issues in the Middle East."

The two leaders first met privately, and were then joined by their close aides.

The full Die Welt interview with Netanyahu is here. I think he more than held his own (and I may have more of it later). But I want to point out this important story from the JPost article linked above.

In a related development, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed a Haaretz report that it intervened to keep Tel Aviv University Prof. Rivka Feldhay, the director of the university’s Minerva Humanities Center, from participating in a roundtable discussion with Netanyahu, Merkel and nearly a dozen German and Israeli scientists.

Feldhay signed a letter in 2008 by Israeli university faculty members expressing “appreciation and support” for students and lecturers who “refuse to serve as soldiers in the occupied territories.”

A source in Netanyahu’s entourage said the prime minister was unwilling, in a meeting during which he represents Israel, to allow the participation of someone who blackened the name of “pilots and soldiers who do everything they can to prevent harming civilians, while the other side does everything it can to harm civilians.”

Feldhay, the wife of Mordechai Kremnitzer of the Israel Democracy Institute, was already in Berlin when she was informed she would not be allowed to take part. She was originally invited to attend by Israel’s embassy in Berlin.

It's about time someone told Israel's Israeli enemies that they cannot represent the State of Israel. I hope that the Leftist-dominated Foreign Ministry is starting to get it.