German diplomat in trouble over anti-Israel tweets
July 19, 2019
Germany's envoy to the Palestinian territories, Christian Clages, is facing accusations of anti-Semitism after he reportedly "liked" several tweets that criticized Israel and Jews.
German tabloid Bild reported on Thursday that his "Germany in Ramallah" Twitter account had clicked the site's heart icon to show support for several controversial posts.
The tweets included a video praising an attack on Israeli soldiers and another video showing an exchange between American white supremacist David Duke and another user about an alleged massacre of Jews.
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A tweet comparing the work of Holocaust Memorial Yad Vashem with the presentation of history in "totalitarian states" was also liked.
Investigation ordered
Germany's Foreign Ministry immediately distanced itself from the tweets: "The content is unacceptable and contradicts the view of the German government."
The ministry said it had initiated an in-house investigation to examine "how these 'likes' came about" and "determine the consequences."
The ministry said Clages had also distanced himself from the statements in the tweets.
The posts were subsequently unliked, Bild reported.
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The newspaper said Clages and another two ministers visited the Palestinian organization Al Haq last month. The group is involved in the controversial Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign, an international protest movement against the Jewish state.
Clages, 64, has been in charge of Germany's mission to the Palestinian territories since August 2018.
Before that, he was the country's special representative for the Sahel region of northern Africa and the German ambassador to Beirut.
mm/amp (AFP, AP, EPD)