Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, criticized the alleged detention of a German journalist who had been working in the West Bank.
The journalist in question was Christian Meier, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) correspondent for Israel and Palestine.
In Seibert's post on Tuesday morning, he said that the German foreign office was "worried about the recent unjustified detention of @faznet correspondent Christian Meier" adding that in order to be released "Meier was made to sign not to return to the West Bank for 2 weeks."
.@GermanyDiplo: worried about the recent unjustified detention of @faznet correspondent Christian Meier. Extremist settlers had harrassed him and his group. To be released he was made to sign not to return to the West Bank for 2 weeks. It is not journalists who disturb the peace
— Steffen Seibert (@GerAmbTLV) March 25, 2025
He said that "extremist settlers had harassed him and his group." The FAZ report said Meier's group consisted of Israeli human rights activists and other journalists.
Video footage supposedly shows Meier and the other members of the group being "threatened" by the settlers.
Detention of Meier
The group reportedly called the police, who helped the majority continue on their way but, according to FAZ, detained Meier and one Israeli for several hours.
Meier was released on the condition that he not enter the West Bank for 15 days.
At the time of the detention, Meier was said to have been investigating attacks on Palestinian herders. FAZ added that the arrest of a journalist is rare.
The paper added that the incident was "an unacceptable and arbitrary intervention" and urged that press freedom be maintained. The Foreign Press Association has filed a complaint.
Israel Police told the Jerusalem Post that, following a report of an altercation between several journalists and shepherds near Kochav Hashahar, police and IDF forces "responded swiftly, restored order, and detained two individuals for questioning on suspicion of involvement in assaulting a shepherd."
Neither suspect was named in the statement given to the Post.
After being questioned, both individuals were released with restrictive conditions, including a 15-day exclusion order from entering the West Bank, the police added.
The police told the Post that both suspects retain the right to appeal the terms of their release.