Daniel Ayalon, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister will slap you in your face, call you Sally and then say "deal with it."
A throwback to the old guard of Israeli government official who had more pride than he did political correctness and who knew that Israel must be strong and unbowed against the many enemies that wish to harm it, Daniel Ayalon decided to take a stand against anti-Semitism and against the way other countries manipulate the arts and the press to harm Israel.
After Turkey aired a highly defaming t.v. show about Israel, Danny Boy summoned the Turkish foreign minister to a meeting. At this televised meeting, he made it quite clear that: 1. Only the Israeli flag was present, not the Turkish flag, 2. The Turkish politician was sitting in a much lower chair than Big Danny and 3. that Mr. Ayalon neither smiled nor shook the Turk's hand.
To you and I this might seem all rather silly, as if it were a teenage girl discussing getting snubbed at the Sadie Hawkins Dance. But, in the Gossip Girl world of foreign diplomacy, these gestures are as sharp as a Kassam to the eye.
Avigdor Leiberman, the Foreign Minister (and potentially only hope for Israeli strength) offered a very half-hearted apology which was, itself, more of an insult. Ayalon is still in his position and Turkey is taking its ball and running home.
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