An Irish United Nations translator has been offered a job if she needs one by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after an anti-Palestinian gaffe.
The interpreter, who is said to be Irish, was caught on a live microphone making a critical comment as the UN debated nine resolutions that sided with Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.
The unidentified woman was heard to say ‘It’s a bit much, no?’ during an anti-Israel speech by Salvadoran diplomat Carlos Enrique García González.
She was interpreting from Spanish to English at the UN and abruptly stopped during the speech.
She then turned to a colleague and made the remarks in what she thought was a private conversation.
The woman was caught on the video feed saying: “I mean, I think when you have five statements – not five, like a total of ten resolutions on Israel and Palestine.
“There’s got to be something, c’est un peu trop, non? (It’s a bit much, no?) I mean, I know – there’s other really bad sh** happening’ in other countries but no one says anything about the other stuff.”
Even Garcia Gonzalez laughed as the translator offered a ‘meek’ apology according to the report.
The meeting secretary then announced: “I understand there was a problem with interpretation?”
The report says chuckles rang out through hall until the sheepish interpreter realized her commentary had reached every delegate’s headphones. ‘Interpreter apologies,’ she offered.
The interpreter’s plight made headlines in Israel where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played the video clip during Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting.
He said: “I hope nothing bad happens to the interpreter but in order to remove all doubt I can say that a place of employment is assured her in Israel if things go in that direction.
“Sometimes the veil of hypocrisy over the incessant attacks against us is ripped off, and this interpreter did that.”
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