Does the German government require officials who came to Israel to refrain from taking photos showing areas beyond the Green Line? Recently, there have been several embarrassing incidents that indicate that there is a procedure, or at least a German recommendation, not to include the locations in question in the photographs.
According to information obtained by Israel Hayom, at least in two events that took place at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, German representatives who came to the scene did not want the background in the photos they took to be the walls of the Old City. This is what they explained to their Israeli counterparts.
The historic hotel is located in the heart of Jerusalem and is adjacent to what was the city's separation line from 1949 to 1967. The walls of Jerusalem are clearly visible from the place, and international figures are usually interested in being photographed with the walls in the background. In both cases, the German representatives said that this was against the guidelines and preferred to be photographed so that the hotel was at their backs and not the walls.
King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Photo: Yoram Aschheim
Germany recognizes Israel only according to the borders where the War of Independence ended in 1949. All the areas liberated by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War are, in its eyes, "occupied Palestinian territory." We are talking about ancient Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, as well as East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, which is occupied territory from Syria.
German guidelines have long prohibited any kind of cooperation with what Berlin calls "occupation contrary to international law." Among other things, German representatives are required not to visit these places. The Germans also make sure that budgets from their government do not reach Israeli bodies that have affiliations in any way beyond the 1949 lines.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Photo: AP
German Embassy in Tel Aviv, photo: None
An examination with Israeli diplomats who handled visits by Israeli delegations in the past shows that in the past there was no objection to German representatives being photographed against the background of the walls of Jerusalem. This appears to be a new procedure or recommendation.
The German embassy in Tel Aviv said: "There are no restrictions on where delegation members can go or what to photograph. The German embassy only advises official delegations on the federal government's position on the status of East Jerusalem and the occupied territories – a position based on international law."
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