Former chancellor 'burned' by Jewish holiday gift
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had a hot time today at the Israeli president’s home in Jerusalem today, an official said.
Kohl was visiting President Moshe Katsav when a delegation of Israeli farmers came to offer him a selection of home-grown vegetables - a symbolic gift to mark the Jewish Shavuot holiday, which begins tomorrow evening.
Spotting a red pepper, Katsav picked it up and told Kohl that if he has any real political enemies, he should offer them the pepper.
Katsav does not speak German, Kohl does not speak Hebrew, and apparently something got lost in the translation.
Kohl took a huge bite out of the pepper.
Within seconds, he had turned red, was gasping for breath and perspiring heavily.
Katsav’s aides brought the former chancellor a large glass of water, an official said.
