The Mail on Sunday newspaper posted the footage showing the embassy employee telling an undercover reporter from Al-Jazeera that « I want to take down… the Deputy Foreign Minister » (Alan Duncan) — a long-time critic of Israel, and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s second-in-command.
Duncan was « doing a lot of problems, » he added.
The embassy issued an immediate apology, saying it « rejects the remarks concerning Minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable ».
« The comments were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat, and who will be ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly, » it added.
Ambassador Mark Regev apologised personally to Duncan on Friday, according to the embassy. Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed they had received an apology, and that it now considered « the matter closed ».
The footage was recorded at a restaurant opposite the Israeli embassy in Kensington, west London, during a meeting attended by Maria Strizzolo, senior aide to Conservative Education Minister Robert Halfon.
Strizzolo spoke of her influence in helping Halfon become a minister, prompting the embassy staffer to ask her « can you do the opposite stuff as well? «
However, Strizzolo said Duncan would be « impossible to rebuff » due to having powerful « friends », but then suggested « a little scandal, maybe? «
The embassy employee also called foreign office chief Johnson an « idiot » and mocked « crazy » opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his « weirdo » supporters.
