Germany's Scholz phones Israeli premier after Abbas comment - German govt spokesperson

[August 18, 2022]  BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz made clear to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid in a phone call on Thursday that any attempt to downplay or deny the Holocaust was unacceptable, said a German government spokesperson.  

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a press statement about the gas levy at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany August 18, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

The two also agreed to meet soon in Berlin, according to the spokesperson.

During a joint news conference with Scholz on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of committing "50 Holocausts" in response to a question about the upcoming 50th anniversary of the attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics by Palestinian militants.

Scholz was criticized by German media for not immediately condemning Abbas' statement during the news conference.

(Reporting by Madeline Chambers, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)

[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.