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Israeli Legislator Calls U.S. Envoy “Jew Boy”, Apologizes
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| Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Israel |
JERUSALEM, Jan. 10 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – The Israeli Knesset Ethics Committee has decided not to punish MP (Member of Knesset) Zvi Hendel, a member of the Knesset, for calling Daniel Kurtzer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, a "jewboy", news agencies reported Thursday, January 10, 2002.
The committee, headed by MP Colette Avital, of the Labor party, roundly condemned Hendel's comments, saying it was hurtful to a foreign ambassador, to Israeli citizens and to Diaspora Jews, reported Israeli daily newspaper, Ha’aretz.
The committee decided to desist from punishing Hendel after he promised to send a written apology to Kurtzer. He submitted a letter to the committee in which he apologized for his comment.
"A mistake came out of my mouth when I said “a jewboy.” Of course, my meaning was not in the derogatory connotation of the term which has been used by the worst of Israel haters. If anyone has been hurt by this, I wholeheartedly apologize."
Hendel, a far right Israeli MP, denounced Tuesday the U.S. ambassador to Israel as a "Jew boy" for criticizing Israel's investment in Jewish settlements rather than public spending, parliamentary officials said.
Hendel made the remarks in front of the parliamentary assembly, the Knesset.
"As a representative of a foreign country, whether Jewish or not, Mr. Kurtzer has no right to interfere in our internal affairs," Hendel said.
"No Israeli diplomat would be allowed to act as he does. Mr. Kurtzer said in public recently that 'instead of taking care of the disabled and of economic development, Israel is investing in Jewish settlements which should be dismantled,'" said Hendel, who lives in a Gaza Strip settlement.
"I don't want to give any Nazi slant to my words, but as a Jew, I have the right to criticize this Jew boy who is interfering in our internal affairs," said Hendel, who repeated his comment on Israeli television when quizzed on the issue.
U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, meanwhile, was "appalled" by the Israeli legislator’s remarks, State Department spokesperson, Richard Boucher, said Wednesday.
"The secretary was appalled by these horrible and irresponsible comments," Boucher said, describing Powell's reaction to Hendel's derogatory description of U.S. envoy Daniel Kurtzer.
Boucher noted that Hendel, who made the remark in front of the Knesset, had since apologized and that many in Israel, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, had been "similarly shocked."
"Obviously, these comments by Hendel were below contempt and we are not going to dignify them with any further comment," Boucher said.
Hawkish Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon's office condemned the MP's attack on the ambassador of Israel's strongest ally.
“Expressions like those heard today have no place and must be condemned outright,'' Sharon’s office said in a written statement.
Israeli Foreign Ministry said, “We regret this shocking statement, and its unacceptable manner. How would Israel respond if such words were said by legislators in a friendly country like the U.S.?''
The torrent of criticism against Hendel over his remark continued. Former U.S. congressmen, Jack Kemp and Frank Lautenberg, visiting Israel, sharply criticized Hendel's slur Wednesday.
Lautenberg said there was nothing wrong with the ambassador's comment on an internal Israeli matter, but a lot wrong with Hendel's slur.
A Jew, Lautenberg said that "if someone said that to me I'd punch him in the nose,” reported Ha’aretz.
Name-calling is not new in Israel's often unruly parliament.
In July 1997 hard-line legislator, Rehavam Zeevi, used the same slur to describe then-U.S. Ambassador Martin Indyk, who is also Jewish.
Zeevi later challenged the ambassador to a fist-fight.
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