James Jones Apologizes for "Jewish Merchant" Joke

Here's how it went:

"In order to set the stage for my remarks I'd just like to tell you a story that I think is true. It happened recently in southern Afghanistan. A member of the Taliban was separated from his fighting party and wandered around for a few days in the desert, lost, out of food, no water. And he looked on the horizon and he saw what looked like a little shack and he walked towards that shack. And as he got to it, it turned out it was a little store own by a Jewish merchant. And the Taliban warrior went up to him and said, 'I need water, give me some water.' And the merchant said, 'I'm sorry, I don't have any water but would you like a tie. We have a nice sale of ties today.'"

"Whereupon the Taliban erupted into a stream of language that I can't repeat, about Israel, about Jewish people, about the man himself, about his family, and just said, 'I need water, you try to sell me ties, you people don't get it.' The merchant stood there until the Taliban was through with his diatribe and said, 'Well I'm sorry I don't have water for you and I forgive you for all of the insults you've levied against me, my family, my country. But I will help you out. If you go over that hill and walk about two miles there is a restaurant there and they will have all the water you need.' And the Taliban, instead of saying thanks, still muttering under his breath, disappears over the hill, only to come back an hour later, and walking up to the merchant says, 'Your brother tells me a I need a tie to get into the restaurant.'"

"It's stereotypic," he said. "Some people believe they need to start a speech with a joke; this was about the worst kind of joke the head of the National Security Council could have told."

Now Jones has apologized in a statement.

"I wish that I had not made this off the cuff joke at the top of my remarks, and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it," he said. "It also distracted from the larger message I carried that day: that the United States commitment to Israel's security is sacrosanct."

In the speech, Jones said the administration continues "to call on all sides to avoid provocative actions, including Israeli actions in East Jerusalem and Palestinian incitement that fuel suspicion rather than trust... So it is time to begin those negotiations and to put an end to excuses. It is time for all leaders in the region-Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab-to support efforts for peace."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the joke was not included on the transcript because the release was based on Jones' prepared remarks. He said there was not a stenographer present at the non-presidential event.

Gibbs also said the White House had not requested the apology and that it "rightly speaks for itself."