| Shachar Tsoberi, Israel's only Olympic medalist in the games recently held in Beijin, China, doesn't seem to have taken on board that he's now famous and with that comes responsibility as well as just accolades and offers. What comes out of his mouth now is no longer only the opinion of an Israeli youth just turned 22, but rather a statement on behalf of his country, from a diplomacy viewpoint. His representation of Israel did not end when the Olympics did - by winning a medal, it has really only begun. Shachar Tsoberi must now learn to mind both what he says, and how he says it, as his opinions now reflect on the whole nation and can have international repercussions. |
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Shachar’s use of the word ‘shits’ in describing his Chinese hosts at the Olympics in an interview last weekend had international repercussions and led to the Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv cancelling a reception it had planned in honour of the Olympic team yesterday. The Israeli Minister of Science, Culture and Sports, Ghaleb Majadele, hastened to send an apology to the Chinese ambassador, denouncing Shachar’s comments and making clear that “they do not reflect the Israeli people’s opinion of the Chinese nation” and that he himself had found the Chinese to be a "cultured, polite, hospitable and friendly people" during his stay in Beijing for the Olympics. He added that he hoped that Tsoberi’s “deplorable comment will not hinder the fruitful relationship between our two nations,” and has said that he intends to summon him for a meeting. |
