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German president meets Israeli PM in Jerusalem

Xinhua, May 7, 2017 Adjust font size:

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier met Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday two week after a diplomatic spat arose between the latter and Germany's foreign minister.

Steinmeier arrived in Israel on Saturday for a three-day trip, before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday.

Netanyahu canceled a meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the latter refused to cancel a prescheduled meeting with "Breaking the Silence," a group critical of the critical of Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

In their meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu told Steinmeier that "Israel has brave soldiers and commanders with unequivocal moral standards," according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office.

Netanyahu stated that Israel seeks peace with its neighbors. Reiterating his accusation, he said that the Palestinians "don't teach their children peace."

Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war and had controlled these lands ever since, despite international criticism. Endit