Mexico says Israel Leader Should Apologize for Tweet

Mexico's top diplomat said Monday Israel should apologize for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's weekend tweet supporting U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for a border wall.

Netanyahu tweeted that Israel's wall along its border with Egypt had stemmed a swell of African migrants.

In his words, "President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel's southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great success. Great idea.''

Luis Videgaray, Mexico's foreign relations secretary, told the Televisa network Monday that "an apology would be something appropriate.''

Most Mexicans resent Trump's proposed wall and see his calls for Mexico to pay for it as an insult.

Videgaray said "we are waiting for a clarification and a rectification,'' and called the tweet "an insult.''

On Saturday, Mexico called in the Israeli ambassador to express its "profound disappointment, surprise and rejection'' of the tweet.

Netanyahu sought to clarify his weekend tweet, telling a meeting of his Likud Party that he made no reference to Mexico in his post and that the tweet was being blown out of proportion by the media.

"Now they [media commentators] are saying, 'You harmed Mexico, you ruined the relationship with them.' Who even referred to Mexico? We had and will have a good relationship with them, even when we have real disagreements and not fabricated ones,'' he said, in remarks apparently made before Mexico's demand for an apology.

Videgaray brushed off that explanation.

"In Mexico we all know that when Trump's wall is mentioned, it is a reference to a wall with Mexico,'' he said.