German military spy chief apologizes for Israel map mistake

BERLIN – The head of Germany’s military counterintelligence agency has apologized for publishing a report containing a map that failed to show the state of Israel.

The agency, known by its German acronym MAD, said Thursday that the initial draft of its 2019 annual report erroneously depicted Israel in the same colour as neighbouring Jordan.

The agency said the error was “immediately corrected” and an investigation was launched. The probe concluded that the mistake had been caused by “lack of diligence and insufficient quality control” rather than deliberate action or political intent, MAD said.

“I regret this incident deeply and expressly apologize,” MAD chief Christof Gramm said, noting that the agency’s duties include combating anti-Semitism and extremism within the military.