French children’s magazine pulls issue after saying Israel wasn’t a ‘real country’

The news editor for Youpi, a magazine for children from 5 to 8, told The Associated Press on Tuesday the January issue was being removed from kiosk sales in France and Belgium after writing that Israel was among a few states in the world that aren't "real countries."

Bertrand Fichou said he humbly apologises for the mistake and that his intention wasn't to challenge the legitimacy of the state of Israel.

He said that, "I'll blame myself for it all my life."

The two-sentence text caused an uproar on social media, and French Jewish group CRIF asked the publisher to remove the January issue from sales.

Meanwhile, Israel's foreign ministry has caused its own uproar on social media after it published a "racist" cartoon calling on Arabs to leave the Dark Ages and forge relations with the Jewish state.

The ministry's Arabic-language Twitter account posted the political cartoon on Sunday, depicting Arabs as a radicalised peasant and Israel as a utopian future.

"As the English proverb says: if you can't beat them, join them! The time has come for cooperation between Israel and its neighbours to build a bright future for the region instead of boycotting and remaining in the Middle Ages," the tweet said.

"The prospect of change in the Middle East will come through realising that relations with Israel will be beneficial for Arab countries," it said.

The illustration posted with the text shows a donkey-riding man wearing traditional Arab clothing in front of a futuristic city with the message: "Welcome to Israel".