Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossi Gal formally reprimanded Boston Consul Nadav Tamir on Thursday over a letter he circulated that criticized Israeli policy. Tamir apologized, and will return to work next week.
Tamir's letter, titled “Sad thoughts on Israel-U.S. Relations,” accused Israel's leaders of saying “no” to America too often, thus reducing American support for Israel and harming American Jews. The letter was leaked to Israel media and widely publicized.
Gal did not rebuke Tamir over the content of the letter, rather, he criticized the consul for “errors in judgement relating to the wide distribution of his missive.” Tamir told Gal that while he had distributed the memo intentionally, he had not planned for its contents to be leaked to the press.
Tamir apologized, and told Gal that he understands that as a diplomat, he is obligated to keep any criticism of government policy private.
Gal issued a warning to all ministry employees reminding them to send messages through the proper channels. He assured diplomats that he and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman would address any concerns.
Lieberman was highly critical of Tamir's letter, and implied that Tamir should step down. “Anyone who is uncomfortable with government policies can resign,” the foreign minister said earlier this week.