[Gerry Brownlee has joined demands to expel an Iranian diplomat for his June speech]

National has called for an Iranian diplomat to be expelled from the country – saying he delivered “what was effectively a hate speech” containing “anti-Semitic statements”.

National’s foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee said Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters should have already required the withdrawal of Hormoz Ghahremani’s credentials, and his removal from the country.

“Inciting racial tension by making anti-Semitic statements is the antithesis of that important [diplomatic] role, regardless of the context or setting in which the comments were made,” Brownlee said.

Peters has returned fire, asking why Brownlee had not expelled him when he was Foreign Minister: “It happened in June”.

However his department has hauled in first secretary of the Iranian Embassy Hormoz Ghahremani to express New Zealand’s disappointment.

To read more, go to: https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/98479461/govt-should-act-over-diplomats-incendiary-speech