Israel’s ambassador to France has resigned in protest against the new Likud-led government.
The coalition, which includes multiple far-right partners, was formally sworn in on Thursday last week.
Yael German, an ally of outgoing prime minister Yair Lapid, immediately stood down from her role as ambassador, claiming returning prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies threatened the principles of Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the vision of a democratic Jewish state.
In her letter of resignation addressed to the six-time Israeli Prime Minister, Ms German argued that she no longer felt able “to lie to myself and continue to represent policies that are so radically different from what I believe in”.
She said she had been proud to represent Israel and the outgoing administration which she said was faithful to “democracy, human rights, and the rule of law”.
“Sadly the government you established and lead includes representatives of parties whose extreme positions are expressed in its guidelines, in its policies, and in statements on legislation — illegitimate in my eyes — that it intends to pass,” she said.
Earlier this year, Ms German had been tipped as a potential replacement for Israel’s UK ambassador Tzipi Hotovely.
Ms German was previously a member of the left-wing Meretz party but was elected to the Knesset with Mr Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid in 2013, serving as health minister until 2014.
Her appointment as French envoy in 2021 was met with some backlash as she is not a fluent French speaker.
Unlike many diplomatic appointments, Israel’s Paris envoy to France is considered a political appointment.
