Israeli President Shimon Peres on Wednesday apologized to the Chinese government after Israel's only medalist at the Beijing Olympics used a curse word to describe the Chinese in a newspaper interview.

Peres made the apology during his meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Israel Zhao Jun in Tel Aviv.

Israeli windsurfing bronze medalist Shahar Zubari stirred up controversy last week by calling the Chinese "shits" when asked to describe them in one word in an interview with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

"After a month and a half I couldn't look at Chinese people any more," the 22-year-old athlete said.

"They are difficult. They don't speak the language, their rituals are strange and even their pronunciation is weird," he said.

On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy to Israel cancelled the celebration party it planned to hold in honor of the Israeli Olympic delegation.

To calm the controversy, Israeli Culture, Science and Sport Minister Raleb Majadele wrote an official letter to the Chinese ambassador denouncing and apologizing for Zubari's comments, which he called "despicable" and "irresponsible."

"I would like to emphasize that they do not reflect the views of the Israeli people on the Chinese nation," he wrote in the letter..

During his stay in Beijing during the Olympics, Majadele said in the letter he discovered "a cultured, polite people who are pleasant and friendly".

"I hope that the regrettable remarks made by Shahar Zubari do not harm the fruitful relations between our countries," he said.

Majadele also said he intended to summon Zubari for a meeting to tell him that it is not acceptable to talk this way about people who have given him such kind hospitality.

The Chinese embassy in Tel Aviv has been receiving phone calls and e-mails from local Israelis expressing their anger and disappointment at Zubari's disrespectful remarks, the Beijing-based Global Times reported.

They said the athlete's words ran counter to the Jewish cultural tradition and hoped they will not damage the friendship between Israel and China.

Zubari later apologized for his words in another interview with the Israeli newspaper.

"I truly apologize for the things that were published. Those things were said thoughtlessly," he said.

"I truly hope they accept my apology and understand it wasn't done on purpose."