The wife of Israel’s interior minister has apologised after sending a “racist” tweet about President Barack Obama that she claims was a joke.

Judy Shalom Nir Mozes sparked outrage after she tweeted on her official account saying: "Do u know what Obama Coffee is? Black and weak."

The comment was deleted from her account after people responded in Hebrew, saying "Have you gone mad," and "You'd better erase this...frighteningly racist."

Mrs Mozes sent a new tweet in which she said: "I apologise, that was a stupid joke somebody told me.”

She added: “President Obama, I shouldn’t have written the inappropriate joke I heard. I like people no matter about their race and religion. "

Mrs Shalom, whose husband is Silvan Shalom, sparked controversy in 2012 when she stepped down from her position at UNICEF after she posted messages on Facebook in support of Israeli military action in Gaza during Operation Pillar of Defense.

She said: “I very much hope that Bibi [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] will not surrender to the pressures of our enemies and continue the operation until the last terrorist is murdered in Gaza.”