Last update - 00:00 18/10/2006
FM officials ask Australian Jews for advice on Israeli envoy's fate
By Haaretz Service
Senior officials in the Foreign Ministry sought advice from Australian Jewish leaders this week about whether to oust Israeli envoy to Australia Naftali Tamir from his post over remarks he made calling Asians "the yellow race," the Australian Jewish News reported.
The ministry is split on whether to fire Tamir or send him back to Canberra with a warning. Senior ministry officials advised Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in a memo this week to remove Tamir from his post, though others have suggested he remain in his post, but for a shorter tenure, the AJN reported.
Tamir told Haaretz last week "Israel and Australia are 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. We are on the western side of Asia and they are on the southeastern side."
The ambassador has blamed the ensuing controversy on a misunderstanding.
Officials in Jerusalem may consult Australian Jewish leaders over the envoy's future on the sidelines of the Jewish Agency's board of governors meeting next week, according to the AJN.
Jewish community officials have been reluctant to condemn Tamir ahead of the ministry's inquiry, but a senior community leader said it was unlikely Tamir would return to work, the AJN reported.
"It's hard to imagine him being sent back. If it was proven correct that these were his comments, it's hard to imagine him being able to operate properly. I don't think he could return quickly."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said this week that Tamir's future was "all a function of the findings of the inquiry," adding that there would be no return to "business as usual" if it was proven that Tamir was quoted accurately.