The Israeli government has complained to Germany after the German ambassador attended a high-profile Supreme Court hearing last week looking at the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, an Israeli diplomatic official said Monday.

       The complaint, sent at the order of Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, sparked a rare diplomatic spat between the two allies, with German leaders defending their ambassador against the criticism.

       The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing behind-the-scenes diplomacy, said that Israel had relayed its “dismay” through diplomatic channels, including the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.

       “This was a decision taken by the highest figure in the ministry,” he added. Cohen is a close ally of Netanyahu.

       Last Tuesday’s hearing was the first challenge to Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul, which has bitterly divided the Israeli public and put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

       Related Netanyahu visits Elon Musk in California with plans to talk about artificial intelligence Biden set for busy week of foreign policy, including talks with Brazil, Israel and Ukraine leaders Israel's Netanyahu to meet Elon Musk. Sit-down comes as company faces antisemitism controversy

       Ahead of the hearing, German Ambassador Steffen Seibert posted a video of himself on X, formerly known as Twitter, inside the courtroom under the heading: “The place to be this morning.” It included the Hebrew hashtag for Israel’s Supreme Court.

       “I think something important is happening here for Israeli democracy,” he said, speaking in Hebrew. “We, as friends of Israel, are watching the Supreme Court with great interest and I wanted to see for myself.” Seibert did not express an opinion on the case in the video.

       In New York, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended his government’s envoy against the Israeli criticism.

       “The German ambassador is a very committed man with very clear principles. And I believe that everyone knows that -- including in Israel,” Scholz told journalists.

       German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock added that it is the “everyday business of diplomats” to monitor developments in foreign countries. “It’s also normal to go to public hearings or public court cases -- it’s part of his job,” she said.

       Scholz and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

       More about Benjamin Netanyahu AP Israeli Olaf Scholz Steffen Seibert Supreme Court Jerusalem New York Berlin Twitter Hebrew

       1/ 1German ambassador's attendance at Israeli court hearing ignites diplomatic spat

       German ambassador's attendance at Israeli court hearing ignites diplomatic spat Israel Germany

       Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

       CCPA Notice Promoted stories

       Healthy Guru

       Dermatologist: If You Have Toenail Fungal Infection Try This Tonight (It's Genius!)Healthy Guru| Sponsored Sponsored

       Undo

       BestStories

       Behind the Scenes: Celebrities' Former Assistants Spill the Beans on The High-Maintenance DemandsBestStories| Sponsored Sponsored

       Read More

       Undo

       americamorningsupply.com

       Chuck Norris Says: Do This Daily For More Energy, Even if You're 80In this free video, action star Chuck Norris reveals his keys to getting more energy later on in life.americamorningsupply.com| Sponsored Sponsored

       Watch Now

       Undo

       ？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

       Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

       Subscribe

       Already subscribed? Log in