Israeli Foreign Minister's Sheer Idiocy Is Truly Hard to Fathom, and It's on Exhibit for the World - Opinion - Haaretz.com
Israel cannot afford to have a moron like Israel Katz in the post of foreign minister at such a fateful period. Instead of closing Al Jazeera, they should have closed his X account.
One must never underestimate the damage that stupidity is capable of producing. Katz is not a bad man, certainly not a scumbag like many of his partners in the cabinet, but the harm his diplomatic idiocy causes the state is immeasurable.
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If they don't keep all these people away from the country's steering wheels, then there will be nothing left here.
The gap between the level of severity of the events Israel is currently facing and the level of incompetence of those manning the government is unbelievable.
It's as though someone has decided to take revenge on Israel, telling it: deal with the greatest challenge in your history, with the lowest bunch that could have been gathered under one coalition.
The foreign minister's response to Spain, Ireland and Norway's announcements this week about the official recognition of a Palestinian state, is a reckless, even deranged act of sabotage on Israel's relations with these states. Not only in the official relations, but in the way the Spanish, Irish and Norwegians will treat Israel, even without the death and destruction happening in Gaza.
Katz released three video clips on the Foreign Minister's official X account, combining pictures of Hamas' attack on October 7 with the traditional music of each state.
Under the headline "Hamas: thank you Spain" – the video shows Hamas' massacre in the southern communities as two people dance Flamenco. Under the headline "Hamas: thank you Ireland"- videos of Hamas' massacre was combined with Irish dance steps. The Norwegian version combines traditional music with Hamas' atrocities.
The reactions from each country were justifiably furious. The Spanish foreign minister said "the video is scandalous and despicable," elaborating: "It's scandalous because everyone, especially my Israeli colleague, knows that Spain condemned Hamas terrorism from minute one, and it's despicable because it uses one of the symbols for Spanish culture."
Albares was being delicate. Who does Katz think he is? How old is he? What is this level of professionalism? Where does he get the audacity to publicly disparage, in the foreign minister's official account, another nation, to mock its culture? What was going through his head when he authorized this crude idea, which must have been handed to him by some 12-year-old social media "genius," who doesn't care about anything but "breaking the internet"? So great, you guys, you went viral. The price: ruining everything. But hey, the main thing is you went viral.
A unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state is an act of support for the two-state solution. Spain, Ireland and Norway took pains to note that explicitly and to emphasize their friendship with Israel. I personally commend these states, because this is a step that serves Israel's interest.
But even if I accept that the foreign minister objects to the decision, are there no serious, responsible ways to express diplomatic resentment, to convey a sharp message to friendly states, without mocking their culture and accusing them of supporting terrorism?
Israel Katz, Israel's Foreign Minister at U.N. headquarters in New York, March.Credit: David Dee Delgado/ REUTERS
But try explaining that to these useless idiots, whose world extends no further than the center of Likud.
And as if that weren't enough, Katz managed to defeat himself when he then sent a diplomatic letter to the Spanish embassy in which he forbade providing consular services to the residents of the Palestinian Authority.
He signed it with this nonsense: "The days of the Inquisition are over. Today the Jews have a sovereign independent state, and no one will make us convert from our religion or threaten our existence. Whoever hurts us, we'll hurt them."
The only thing I can think of to improve the situation is to send a message to Spain: Por favor, ignoren a nuestro ministro de exteriores, es medio idiota.