JERUSALEM, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- An Ethiopian soldier serving at an Israeli air force base has demanded the dismissal of a senior officer over a racial slur, military authorities say.

The Israel military private petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice Thursday to order military officials to explain why disciplinary action was not being taken against a major the soldier claims called him an "annoying 1/8n-word3/8," Ynetnews reported.

The private filed the petition against several high-ranking officials including the military chief of staff and the air force commander.

The soldier claims the major told his commander: "That 1/8n-word3/8 soldier of yours pisses me off."

When told the soldier in question was present and could hear the comments, the major allegedly said, "I know."

In the petition, the private claims that on another occasion the major refused to shake his hand.

"Israeli society suffers from severe ailments in everything relating to the absorption of the Ethiopian community, and we must respond harshly to racism in order to fight and minimize this, publicly and punitively," the petition says.