Germany backs its envoy to Israel after Israeli foreign minister's criticism

Germany's foreign ministry stands behind its outgoing ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, said a ministry spokesperson on Monday, after Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised an X post by Seibert for mentioning Israeli settler violence.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul spoke directly to Saar by phone on Sunday night to discuss the exchange between the two, said the spokesperson, and "that concludes the matter".

"The foreign minister has a very, very close relationship with his Israeli counterpart, they are in frequent contact," added the spokesperson.

Saar had criticised the ambassador for bringing up settler violence in the occupied West Bank in a post in which he also lamented the death of an Israeli farmer killed near the Lebanese border by Israeli fire and injuries to hundreds of Israelis from Iranian strikes.