German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has cancelled a planned panel discussion on the Gaza war at his official residence in Berlin amid criticism that no Palestinian voice had been invited to take part.
At the event called "How do we talk about the war in the Middle East?" originally scheduled at Bellevue Palace for Thursday, Steinmeier had intended to give a speech and discuss the topic with three guests, Meron Mendel, director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre, journalist Tilo Jung and Melody Sucharewicz, an expert on German-Israeli relations.
Critics have called out the lack of a Palestinian voice in the panel in recent days, however, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
In a statement obtained by dpa, the presidential office justified its decision to cancel the event, saying that it had "come to the conclusion that the round table planned for May 2 does not serve the goal of strengthening social peace in the current tense situation. The event will therefore not take place at this time."
According to his office, the German president has hosted several round table events since the beginning of the Gaza war triggered by the October 7 attacks on Israel.
The idea had been to counter anti-Semitism, hatred and violence, open up space for the pain of all sides, facilitate dialogue and strengthen social peace, the statement said. To this end, dialogue partners with different positions, perspectives and backgrounds were invited, it said.
Germany is among Israel's staunchest allies, and political leaders in Berlin have repeatedly stated that Israel has a right to self defence in the wake of the October 7 attacks.
Domestically, authorities have been quick to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests citing fears of anti-Semitism, with critics saying the current climate has led to a supression of Palestinian voices.