Straw's remarks raise Israel's hackles

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, SEPT. 25. Britain's bid to soften up the Muslim world as the U.S.-driven Western alliance prepares to attack Afghanistan has raised hackles in Israel which is reported to be angry over the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Jack Straw's visit to Iran and his meeting with the Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat on Monday. The Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, moved quickly today to defuse a potential diplomatic row over Mr. Straw's remarks in an Iranian newspaper article which Israel denounced as a ``bunch of lies''.

In his article, Mr. Straw echoed the widely held view in Muslim countries about the causes for the rise of terrorism, a view which Israel said amounted to portraying Israel as a perpetrator of terrorism rather than a ``victim''. Mr. Blair's intervention came after the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon threatened to cancel a meeting with Mr. Straw calling his remarks ``anti-Israel'' and as being sympathetic to Palestinians. ``Livid Sharon Snubs Straw'' screamed a tabloid amid media reports that the Israeli leader was furious with Mr. Straw for pointedly referring to Palestinian territories - the official British description for the areas governed by Mr. Arafat - as ``Palestine'' and calling Mr. Arafat ``president''. This was seen in Israel as implying recognition of Palestinian Statehood, touching off speculation whether his remarks had official sanction.

As the row threatened to affect Mr. Blair's painstaking coalition-building initiative, he spoke to Mr. Sharon and got him to keep his appointment with Mr. Straw. The Israeli Premier, however, was still reported to be sulking and was expected to convey to the British Foreign Secretary his unhappiness over what his Government perceives as ``one-sided'' remarks amounting to ``justifying'' terrorism. His official spokesman, Mr. Raanan Gissin called the article ``despicable'' and ``malicious'' saying: ``I would expect the Foreign Minister of Libya or Iran to write such an article but not the Foreign Minister of Britain.''

In his article, Mr. Straw said: ``I understand that one of the factors that helps breed terrorism is the anger that many people in this region feel at events over the years in Palestine.'' The British Foreign Office stood by his remarks saying that while he believed that there was ``never any excuse for terrorism'' at the same time there was ``an obvious need to understand the environment in which terrorism breeds.'' In what commentators here described as the makings of a ``diplomatic scuffle'', an Israeli Cabinet Minister accused Britain of ``sticking a knife in Israel's back'' by cultivating countries which Jerusalem regards as its sworn enemies.

The Transport Minister, Mr. Ephraim Sneh suggested that Iran should have been the target of any anti-terrorism campaign rather than a partner. ``His (Straw's) trip, co- ordinated by the Americans, is sticking a knife in Israel's back,'' he said echoing what a newspaper described as ``fury'' in Israel over Western overtures to the Muslim world. in its current campaign against terror.

Analysts said Israel was watching with nervousness the attempt by its Western allies to cosy up to its ``enemies'' in the region and paint them as the ``good guys''. They spoke of a growing sense of ``isolation'' in Israel and of being left out while its detractors were being wooed. The Israeli Right-wing was reported to be particularly upset at being ``ignored'' in the current campaign. A British T.V. journalist, reporting from Jerusalem, said Israel had been bluntly told by its Western allies not to create any difficulties in their efforts to enlist the support of the Islamic world for their post-September 11 coalition. The message, he said, was that their international priorities right now were different from those of Israel's own national priorities.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : The cloak of invisibility
Next     : U.S. move on war worries China