Nissan-Renault is finding itself in hot water for an advertisement for its new Tiida that recently aired on Israeli television. The ad, which depicts a group of Saudis attacking the fuel-efficient car, has drawn the ire of Arab states for its alleged racism:

It's my opinion that Nissan made a huge error by igniting these [racist] instincts," official Hani al-Wafa told MBC TV, a Saudi-run station headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "We need to apply punishments... against these things. In order for Nissan to keep its interests in the region, it must apologize."

Though a Nissan spokeswoman in Israel defended the spot as humorous, the company has apparently distanced itself from the ad and canceled the campaign, which had been developed by an Israeli marketing firm. Of course, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, the ad lives on online:

Nissan is not new to the risqué viral video business. The company may have gone too far with this one, although I'm not sure if there would have been such an outcry had the ad aired anywhere other than Israel.

For what it's worth, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is of Lebanese descent.