Diplomats Have More Fun

Tsuriel Raphael, a long-time career diplomat and until recently Israel's ambassador to El Salvador has a lot of explaining to do when he reports to his superiors.

El Salvador police found Raphael in the yard of his residence, tied up, gagged with a ball and drunk, Israeli media reported. He was wearing sex bondage equipment, the media said

The story was confirmed by an Israeli spokeswoman, Zehavit Ben-Hillel, from the Foreign Ministry who said that although Mr. Raphael did not break any laws "We're talking about behavior that is unbecoming of a diplomat". They have already begun looking for his replacement.

In recent years the Israelis have had problems with some of their diplomatic personnel:

• In 2000, Israel's ambassador to France died of cardiac arrest in a Paris hotel under circumstances the Foreign Ministry refused to publicize. Media reports said he was with a woman who was not his wife at the time.


• In 2006, Israel replaced its ambassador to Australia, Naftali Tamir, after he said Israel and Australia are "like sisters" because both are located in Asia and their peoples don't have the Asian characteristics of "yellow skin and slanted eyes."


• In 2005, Israel canceled the appointment of a diplomat to Australia after it was discovered that he published pictures of nude Brazilian women on the Internet while on a mission in Brazil.