Israeli, Mexican presidents to meet over tweet
After PM Netanyahu's tweet supporting a border wall between Mexico, US inflames Israel-Mexico tensions, Israeli President Rivlin to speak with Mexican President Peña Nieto to try and smooth things over.
Rivlin is calling Peña Nieto in order to sort things out following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet in support of US President Trump's border wall.
Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to Mexico Yonni Peled was summoned to the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City for a reprimand from the Mexican government.
The Israeli foreign ministry said that "following the discussions (between the Israeli Ambassador to Mexico and the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs) it was agreed to continue negotiations in order to smooth things out in order to continue the positive relationship between the two countries."
Meanwhile, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Luis Videgaray said in an interview that Mexico expects Netanyahu to apologize for his tweet.
"Mexico is a good friend to Israel. Netanyahu's tweet was unacceptable and felt like an attack," Videgaray said.
"The Israeli government must clarify and fix its position in regards to this tweet. An apology from Netanyahu would be an appropriate solution," he added.
Jews in Mexico have responded with heightened concern and condemnation of Netanyahu's tweet. "We think Netanyahu has opened his mouth without reason, he shouldn't have been for or against (the issue), it's useless," said Mexican Daniel Dorenbaum to Ynet. "As a very Zionist community, we are very supportive of the State Israel, but things are sensitive over when it comes to the wall. People think that all Jews believe the same thing Netanyahu does, and that's not the case."
Dorenbaum continued to say that the Mexican Jewish community has received "anti-Semitic comments, some of them anonymous, on Facebook and Twitter. It happens every time the Middle East heats up, but this time we think it was pointless."
