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State Department condemns ‘rhetoric’ used by Israeli consul general nominee

May Golan’s language is “particularly damaging when it’s amplified in leadership positions,” said department spokesman Vedant Patel.

Head of the Otzma Yehudit Party Itamar Ben-Gvir with Knesset member May Golan at a plenum session at the Knesset on Dec. 14, 2022. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
Head of the Otzma Yehudit Party Itamar Ben-Gvir with Knesset member May Golan at a plenum session at the Knesset on Dec. 14, 2022. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

At the U.S. State Department’s daily press briefing on Thursday, Said Arikat, who reports for a Palestinian paper and has a history of anti-Israel attacks disguised as questions, asked about May Golan, just tapped to be Israeli consul general in New York.

Golan “has previously described herself as a ‘proud racist,’ ” said Arikat. He asked if the State Department has concerns about credentialing her.

Vedant Patel, Foggy Bottom’s principal deputy spokesperson, referred questions about Israeli personnel announcements to Jerusalem. “But broadly, we would condemn such kind of rhetoric and believe that such kind of language is also particularly damaging when it’s amplified in leadership positions,” he said.

Arikat also asked about Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s recent Israel visit and about a U.S. citizen, whom he said was recently released from Israeli detention.

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