An Israeli Ambassador's Definition Of Asian - "Yellow Skin And Slanted Eyes!!"
Israel has recalled its ambassador to Australia to investigate comments he reportedly made on Asians, The Age newspaper reported. Ambassador Naftali Tamir was believed to have been in Singapore on his way to Australia after a short holiday in Israel, when he received instructions to return immediately, the newspaper said.
In an interview with the widely circulated daily, Haaretz, last week, Tamir allegedly said Israel and Australia needed to cooperate because they were like sisters in Asia.
"We are in Asia without the characteristics of Asians. We don't have yellow skin and slanted eyes. Asia is basically the yellow race. Australia and Israel are not, we are basically the white race," he was quoted as saying.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told The Age from Jerusalem that his ministry was checking whether the comments as reported were accurate. "As they stand, they are obviously unacceptable and problematic," Regev said. An inquiry was under way, he said.
Tamir issued a statement of denial in yesterday's edition of Ma'ariv. Tamir is a career diplomat who has served in Finland, Europe and America. He has been in Australia for about a year.
The executive director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, Colin Rubenstein, said Israel's Foreign Ministry had done the right thing in recalling Tamir, The Age reported.
Australia's Opposition Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, Kevin Rudd, said reports that the ambassador had made racist comments were disturbing. "If those reports are accurate ... those sort of remarks are unacceptable," Rudd said in Canberra.
Tamir is also ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, where diplomatic relations were restored last year after Israel formally apologised over an incident in which two alleged Mossad agents tried to obtain New Zealand passports fraudulently in 2004. (Bernama.)
In an interview with the widely circulated daily, Haaretz, last week, Tamir allegedly said Israel and Australia needed to cooperate because they were like sisters in Asia.
"We are in Asia without the characteristics of Asians. We don't have yellow skin and slanted eyes. Asia is basically the yellow race. Australia and Israel are not, we are basically the white race," he was quoted as saying.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev told The Age from Jerusalem that his ministry was checking whether the comments as reported were accurate. "As they stand, they are obviously unacceptable and problematic," Regev said. An inquiry was under way, he said.
Tamir issued a statement of denial in yesterday's edition of Ma'ariv. Tamir is a career diplomat who has served in Finland, Europe and America. He has been in Australia for about a year.
The executive director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, Colin Rubenstein, said Israel's Foreign Ministry had done the right thing in recalling Tamir, The Age reported.
Australia's Opposition Labor's foreign affairs spokesman, Kevin Rudd, said reports that the ambassador had made racist comments were disturbing. "If those reports are accurate ... those sort of remarks are unacceptable," Rudd said in Canberra.
Tamir is also ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, where diplomatic relations were restored last year after Israel formally apologised over an incident in which two alleged Mossad agents tried to obtain New Zealand passports fraudulently in 2004. (Bernama.)
Labels: Nutcases.
posted by The Malaysian. at 10/16/2006 01:15:00 PM
2 Comments:
It will be interesting to see how this ends. Poser for Toyo and his bxxxn skin cronies !
I apologise for deviating from the topic, Malaysian. This is about Najib's promise to release the methodolgy used by EPU. You may recall that US of A, a developed country, with CIA, NSA, DIA, FBI and what-nots, have been lambasted for producing flawed intelligence of Iraqi WMDs. My poser to you and the readers is this:-
Will you trust the Fox guarding the Chicken Coop when he says his Stewardship is in accordance with International Stewardship Standards? And further more, will you accept that the Fox is stating, to the Farmer, the Standards that were Adopted or Ignored as per the Fox's Circumstances? Mind you, the Farmer has no say at all!
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