Israel apologizes over embassy staff's plot to "take down" senior British politicians

The Israeli embassy in Britain apologized for the mistakes made by one of its staff who had been caught on camera threatening to "take down" British senior politicians, local media reported Sunday.

Shai Masot, the political officer at the Israeli embassy, was secretly filmed in an episode last year during a six-month undercover operation by the Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, which revealed plots by the Israeli officer and a British civil servant to destroy the careers of senior politicians.

In the footage obtained by the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday, Masot targeted British Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Duncan, and suggested Maria Strizzolo, an aide to Education Minister Robert Halfon, to "take down" Duncan.

Strizzolo later hinted that "a little scandal" might see Duncan dismissed.

The Israeli embassy quickly tweeted a response on Sunday, saying the embassy "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," a spokesman said in the tweeted statement.

The statement also said that Mark Regev, ambassador of Israel to Britain, had apologized to Duncan "and made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable."

"The UK has a strong relationship with Israel, and we consider the matter closed," the statement ended as saying.

Masot is reportedly being sent back to Israel in disgrace and Strizzolo has resigned from her post.

source: Xinhua