Belgium: Israel scolds Belgian envoy over his PM’s meeting with left-wing groups

One can imagine the furore if P.M. Netanyahu met, on a visit to Belgium, with far left wing groups or if the Israeli government financed NGOs engaged in anti-Belgian propaganda... 

The Times of Israel:

Belgium’s Ambassador to Israel Olivier Belle was summoned for a dressing down in the Foreign Ministry on Thursday over a visit by his country’s prime minister, Charles Michel, with representatives of two prominent left-wing Israeli rights organizations.

 On Wednesday, during his three-day visit to Israel, Michel met with the heads of Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem, despite a direct appeal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Belgium to end its support to groups he considers damaging to the country.

“The government of Belgium needs to decide if it wants to change direction or continue with its anti-Israel path,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office warned in response to the meetings.

The statement said Jerusalem viewed Michel’s meetings “with utmost gravity,” and noted Belgium’s “unfriendly” initiatives to prosecute Israeli officials for alleged war crimes during the 2008 Gaza war. 

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