Jerusalem – After a day of high-level meetings in Israel on May 2 — some of which involved the stressful topic of Middle East peace negotiations — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sat down to dinner in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence.
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According to multiple reports, things went smoothly until dessert — chocolates served in a shoe.
That presentation choice would seem bizarre to an eater from just about any culture, but it was especially out of place in front of Netanyahu’s Japanese guests, Abe and his wife, Akie. Japanese etiquette stipulates that shoes should be kept outside of one’s home and office, among other taboos.
Israeli celebrity chef Moshe Segev, who was in charge of the meal, didn’t see anything wrong with the idea, posting about the night on Instagram. His publicist said the shoes were “sculptures” crafted by artist Tom Dixon.
But the faux pas was not lost on Japanese officials.
“What exactly did the illustrious chef Segev think to himself. We can’t understand what he was trying to say here,” one unidentified Japanese diplomat told the Hebrew-language paper Yediot Acharanot. “If it is humor, then we don’t think it is funny. I can tell you we were offended on behalf of our prime minister.”
A senior Israeli official told the paper the decision was “stupid and insensitive.”
In addition to potential future Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Abe and Netanyahu also discussed cybersecurity cooperation between Israel and Japan. But the shoe story by far has been the most talked about story from Abe’s visit.
At least the main course wasn’t sole.
They’ve really put their foot in their mouths with this one.
Well, if the shoe fits…
Israel meant to express that they love Japan with all their heart and sole.
They just wanted to serve the Japanese some sole food.
Will they ever be able to heel their damaged relationship?
At least they didn’t serve apple cobbler.
Insulting people with a simple dinner is an amazing feet.
If he runs again, he’ll be a shoe-in.
Diplomatically, what is the next step after apologizing?
Really, the Israelis have to think about what the Japanese think of this in the context of their culture, put themselves in their shoes.
Narishkeit of the rich and powerful.
The chef was an idiot!!
kind of stupid, if you ask me. Just to put a shoe on the table is revolting, but to put my desert in there too? that is really gross!
Well, the guy might know how to cook nicely, but he certainly lacks taste….
He should have used a New Balance shoe instead of Florsheim…..
After the rocket war with Gaza, Japan offered $1bn in aid to the Palestinians…. The Palestinians had tried to destroy Israel and Japan gives them aid? That was a lot more offensive than this. This is what they deserve, to say the least.
Not as bad as going insulting the POTUS and 2/3 of Americans in Congress. Chutzpenyak.
To #17 - Who insulted POTUS and 2/3’s of Americans in Congress? Kindly clarify.
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
All these stupid puns have me in stitches. You must have a hard soul! And the chef has no brains. Perhaps he served them for entree?
the chef is soul-less
I had desserts from an Israeli chef, I don’t know what he laced them with, but I’ve been tripping all day.