Israel summons Mexican ambassador after protestors vandalize Israeli Embassy

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Mexican ambassador in Tel Aviv on Thursday after protesters vandalized the Israeli Embassy in Mexico City.

"Israel’s embassy in Mexico City is vandalized by demonstrators calling on Israel to extradite a former senior official wanted in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014,” according to the Times of Israel website. “The demonstrators defaced the embassy, including slogans of ‘Death to Israel.’”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said: “We view this issue very gravely. We expect that Mexico will fulfill its international obligations.”

Nahshon pointed out that demonstrators are “demanding the extradition of Tomas Zeron, the former head of the Criminal Investigation Agency.”

“Zeron, who is in Israel and seeking asylum, is facing allegations of serious irregularities surrounding a probe into one of the country’s worst human rights tragedies,” added Nahshon.

Zeron is wanted on charges of compromising an investigation into the disappearance of the students and embezzling more than $50 million, according to the website.

Mexico previously requested Zeron’s extradition last year but Tel Aviv did not offer a response.

* Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report