Israel’s ambassador to the UK has apologised after a senior member of his staff was secretly filmed saying he wanted to \u00ab\u00a0take down\u00a0\u00bb Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan.
Israeli Embassy senior political officer Shai Masot made the comment in footage filmed in a London restaurant and obtained by the Mail on Sunday .
He told a reporter that Sir Alan was creating \u00ab\u00a0a lot of problems\u00a0\u00bb.
Ambassador Mark Regev said this was not the embassy or government’s view.
The conversation involved Mr Masot and Maria Strizzolo, an aide to education minister Robert Halfon, the former political director of Conservative Friends of Israel, as well as an undercover reporter.
It was recorded in October 2016 as part of an investigation by Al Jazeera.
Mr Masot asked her: \u00ab\u00a0Can I give you some names of MPs that I would suggest you take down? \u00a0\u00bb
Ms Strizzolo replied that all MPs have \u00ab\u00a0something they’re trying to hide\u00a0\u00bb and Mr Masot responded by saying \u00ab\u00a0I have some MPs\u00a0\u00bb, adding \u00ab\u00a0she knows which MPs I want to take down\u00a0\u00bb before specifying \u00ab\u00a0the deputy foreign minister\u00a0\u00bb.
Sir Alan, who has been critical of Israel, was seen as more of a problem than Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson who was \u00ab\u00a0basically good\u00a0\u00bb, according to Mr Masot in a transcript of the conversation.
\u00ab\u00a0He just doesn’t care. He is an idiot but has become minister of foreign affairs without any responsibilities. If something real happened it won’t be his fault… it will be Alan Duncan. \u00a0\u00bb
Crispin Blunt, Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairman, said the \u00ab\u00a0apparent activity of a diplomat of a foreign state\u00a0\u00bb was \u00ab\u00a0formally outrageous and deserving of investigation\u00a0\u00bb.
Lord Stuart Polak, director of Conservative Friends of Israel, said: \u00ab\u00a0We utterly condemn any attempt to undermine Sir Alan, or any minister, or any member of Parliament. \u00a0\u00bb
Ms Strizzolo told the newspaper that her conversation with Mr Masot was \u00ab\u00a0tongue-in-cheek and gossipy\u00a0\u00bb.
In a statement, the Israeli Embassy said it \u00ab\u00a0rejects the remarks concerning minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable\u00a0\u00bb.
\u00ab\u00a0The 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,\u00a0\u00bb it said.
\u00ab\u00a0Ambassador Regev on Friday spoke with minister Duncan, apologised for the comments and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable. \u00a0\u00bb
A Foreign Office spokesman said: \u00ab\u00a0The Israeli Ambassador has apologised and is clear these comments do not reflect the views of the embassy or government of Israel.
\u00ab\u00a0The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed. \u00ab\u00a0<\/p>\n

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