Mexican president to Rivlin: 'Ties with Israel damaged following tweet'
President Rivlin spoke at length with the Mexican president following a tweet posted by Netanyahu supporting Trump's wall; 'Our ties are important and we must leave any misunderstandings behind,' said Rivlin; Meanwhile Netanyahu attempts to set the record straight, insisting he made no mention of US-Mexico relations.
President Reuven Rivlin spoke with the Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Tuesday following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet expressing support of Donald Trump's wall. "Our ties are close and important, and we must leave any misunderstandings behind us," Rivlin said.
The Mexican president responded to Netanyahu's social media comments by saying that "Mexico is ready to continue to maintain the close ties with the State of Israel, which were unfortunately damaged due to this tweet."
In the aforementioned tweet, Netanyahu called the wall between the US and Mexico a "great idea" and mentioned the success of the separation barrier against intruders that Israel built on the Israel-Egypt border.
In response, the Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso demanded an apology from Netanyahu, saying that "Mexico is a good friend of Israel. Netanyahu's tweet is incomprehensible and feels aggressive."
"I think an apology ... would be appropriate in this case," Caso said following Netanyahu's tweet.
During their lengthy conversation, Rivlin stated, "I am thankful for the opportunity to speak with you. This correspondence is extremely important to us. Israel and Mexico have close ties, which are expressed in various cooperations."
He thanked Peña Nieto for attending President Peres' funeral, and added that he is looking forward to meeting him again in Israel on his official visit, planned for sometime in the course of the year.
Regarding the tweet that prompted the rift, Rivlin said: "The security situation in Israel and in the Middle East pushed us to make the important decision of building a wall in our midst. We have no intention of comparing Israel's security situation and needs with the situation of any of our worldwide allies."
"I regret any damage caused by this misunderstanding, and it is important to remember that it was indeed nothing more than a misunderstanding, and I am sure we can put this thing behind us," continued Rivlin.
The Mexican president thanked Rivlin again for his willingness to bring the mini confrontation to an end, by reemphasizing Mexico's commitment to its relations with Israel, saying that they understand the explanation provided for the tweet while qualifying that "their interpretation on the subject was inevitable."
"Our request for a public explanation was inevitable, and the clarifications imparted during this correspondence will help our nations mend our ties, as I will make sure to pass your messages to the people," continued Peña Nieto.
Attempting to set the record straight, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the matter at a cybersecurity conference in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. "I did point out the remarkable success of Israel's security fence. But I did not comment about US-Mexico relations. We've had, and will continue to have, good relations with Mexico," he said in English.
Reuters contributed to this article.
