Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Pini Gershon yesterday denied that he is a racist. He explained that he was speaking off the cuff in the controversial remarks he made eight months ago before a group of IDF officers.

Committee chairman Avshalom Vilan (Meretz) said he was shocked when he heard of Gershon's remarks, since he sees Gershon as a "national idol."

Aryeh Shumer, director general of the Ministry of Science, Sport, and Culture, said he was sure that there had been some kind of "mishap" in Gershon's remarks. He noted that Gershon is the pride of Israeli sport.