Belgium’s ambassador to Israel Olivier Belle was summoned to the foreign ministry in Jerusalem on Thursday for a dressing down after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu learned about a meeting that took place between visiting Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and representatives of far-left wing groups Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem.

The meeting with the two NGOs took place one day after Netanyahu met Charles Michel and asked that Belgium stops funding, including indirectly, anti-Israel groups that ‘’act against IDF soldiers.’’ Netanyahu made the same request when he met Monday with British Prime Minister Theresa May in London.

The meeting with the representatives of the NGOs occurred during Michel's three-day visit to Israel.

Netanyahu instructed the foreign ministry to reprimand the country’s ambassador to Israel in response.

"Israel views with utmost gravity Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel's meeting today with the leaders of Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem, during his visit to Israel. Initiatives are underway by the Belgian state prosecutor to try senior Israelis including Tzipi Livni and IDF officers," the Prime Minister's Office said.

"The Belgian government needs to decide whether it wants to change direction or continue with an anti-Israel line,’’ it added.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu has directed that legislation be advanced to prevent financing by foreign governments for NGOs that harm IDF soldiers," the PMO said.

Breaking the Silence collects testimonies from former Israel Defense Forces soldiers about alleged human rights violations they witness in the Palestinian territories during their military service. It has often locked horns with the Israeli political and military brass and its numerous critics have denounced its reports as dishonest, inaccurate, and part of an advocacy campaign intended to harm Israel’s image overseas.