And still on the topic of disgusting countries, the French are continuing their fine tradition of anti-Israel behaviour.
I wonder what the French would do if our ambassador called them “wimps” for dying from the heat, and called Chiraq a “cantakerous old fool who looks like a dried-out dog turd.”France’s new ambassador to Israel caused a diplomatic row with his hosts yesterday when he was reported to have described the Jewish state as “paranoid” and called its prime minister, Ariel Sharon, “a lout.”
Limor Livnat, Israel’s education minister, said the remarks attributed to Gerard Araud were “very grave.” If true, she said, Israel should refuse to accept his letter of accreditation.
The dispute is reminiscent of comments by Daniel Bernard, the former French ambassador to London. He caused a storm in December 2001 after being heard at a dinner party speaking of “that shitty little country, Israel.”
Mr. Araud’s comments appear to have been made in a similarly unguarded moment. Boaz Bissmuth, a correspondent for the mass-circulation Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, reported hearing Mr. Araud talk disparagingly about Israel in conversation with two other French diplomats during a recent cocktail party in Paris.
The newspaper said Mr. Araud did not realize he was in the presence of an Israeli journalist. When Mr. Bissmuth introduced himself, he said, Mr. Araud tried to dissuade him from reporting what he heard because the remarks came up during a private occasion.
The reporter said he decided to publish the remarks because they reflected an apparent bias on the part of an envoy of “a key European Union member state.”
I say we suspend all contacts with France and recall our ambassador. What do France do for Israel, besides export those strange cars with the horn on the side and the electric window controls in the center of the dashboard?
