Chinese embassy fury over false rumours in Israel of Passover gift bug
- Local media reports cast doubt on thermal mugs included in customary holiday gifts to Israeli government officials
- The claims were dismissed by Israel’s security agency and the embassy, which said they were aimed at driving a wedge between the two countries
The Chinese embassy in Israel is fuming over “baseless rumours” that a listening device was concealed among Passover gifts delivered to Israeli government officials.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the embassy hit back at “faulty” media reporting that the gifts – a customary diplomatic practice for the holiday – included a thermal mug that “may” contain “a suspicious device”.
“The baseless rumours have a severe impact as they aim to drive a wedge between China and Israel, tarnish China’s image and seriously mislead the public,” the embassy said.
In fact, the so-called device was a “getter” – a common addition to thermal products which absorbs any free oxygen left in the vacuum layer during production, the statement continued.
The embassy’s angry response followed local media reports on Tuesday which quoted sources raising doubts about the gifts which were delivered to ministries responsible for science and transport.
Israel’s security agency also issued a statement on Tuesday in response to the reports, confirming there were no suspicious components in the mugs.
