Israeli ambassador apologises after senior diplomat says he wants to ‘take down’ MPs

UNDERCOVER footage filmed by an Al Jazeera journalist depicts a senior Israeli embassy official explaining that he wishes to “take down” senior members of Parliament, including foreign office minister Sir Alan Duncan.

Shai Masot, a ‘senior political officer’ at the Israeli Embassy in London, was caught on camera in a restaurant in October 2016.

He was speaking to the undercover reporter plus Maria Strizzolo, a civil servant and former aide to education minister Robert Halfon, and the video has been obtained by the Mail on Sunday.

During the conversation, Masot said: “Can I give you some MPs that I would suggest you would take down?”

He then said that she knew which MPs he was referring to, before confirming “the deputy foreign minister.”

Duncan has been highly critical of Israel’s stance with regard to Palestine, and Masot compared him to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as he said: “He 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.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, has apologised to Duncan, and a Foreign Office spokesman confirmed: “The Israeli Ambassador has apologised and is clear these comments do not reflect the views of the embassy or government of Israel.

“The UK has a strong relationship with Israel and we consider the matter closed.”