Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has cancelled a planned panel discussion on the Gaza conflict at his official residence in Berlin amid criticism that no Palestinian voice had been invited to participate, Al Jazeera reports.

The German news agency DPA reports that the event, titled “How do we talk about the war in the Middle East?” was originally scheduled at Bellevue Palace for next Thursday, where Steinmeier had intended to give a speech and discuss the topic with three guests, Meron Mendel, director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre, journalist Tilo Jung and Melody Sucharewicz, an expert on German-Israeli relations.

Critics called out the lack of a Palestinian voice on the panel in recent days, according to media reports.

In a statement obtained by DPA, the presidential office justified its decision to cancel the event, saying it had “come to the conclusion that the round table planned for May 2 does not serve the goal of strengthening social peace in the current tense situation. The event will therefore not take place at this time.”