Venezuela UN envoy says sorry to Israel for ‘final solution’ remarks

Venezuela's United Nations ambassador has apologized to Israel's UN envoy for remarks he made during an informal Security Council meeting on the protection of the Palestinian people and stands against anti-Semitism, a UN spokesman said on Thursday.

Israel's mission to the United Nations said in a statement last week that Venezuela's Ambassador Rafael Ramirez asked during the meeting last Friday if Israel was seeking "to wage a final solution" against the Palestinians.

The Nazis' "Final Solution" policy led to the killing of 6 million Jews in World War Two.

Ramirez met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Chef de Cabinet Edmond Mulet on Wednesday, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. He told Mulet he regretted using the language.

"He stressed to Mr. Mulet that he stands against any form of anti-Semitism and fully respects the millions of victims of the Holocaust," Dujarric told reporters. "He also informed the chef de cabinet that he had personally apologized to Ambassador (Danny) Danon of Israel."

The Israel mission to the United Nations was not immediately available to comment on the apology.