Remarks by British Foreign Minister Jack Straw linking the terror attacks on the US to the Middle East Crisis might be behind the cancellation of meetings between the top diplomat and Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon later Tuesday, according to Israeli press reports and agencies.
The remarks came in a message to the Iranian people the minister had sent ahead of his visit to the country, which started Tuesday.
Officially, the planned meetings were called off due to "problems with the schedule," said the Jerusalem Post, quoting a statement by Katsav's spokeswoman.
“Sharon also canceled a planned meeting this evening with Straw, in an apparent reaction to Straw's comment reported in an Iranian newspaper seemingly blaming Israel for terrorism because of its treatment of Palestinians,” said the paper.
Straw’s remark was slammed by Israeli Transport Minister Ephrain Sneh, who called them an "obscenity," the Jerusalem Post reported.
"The journey of that foreign minister who made these statements and who and is making the trip with the concurrence of the United States, to Tehran, the capital of Iran, is a stab in the back for Israel," he was quoted as saying.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who is set to meet Straw, said he also did "not accept these words," the daily added.
Senior Israeli foreign ministry official Avi Gil expressed his concern in a statement to the British embassy that the remarks could be interpreted "as blaming Israel and as showing an understanding for terror against Israel."
"This approach is likely to bring about an increase in terror, not wipe it out, especially when published in Iran, a state that supports terror, whose official policy calls for the destruction of the state of Israel, and which actively supports terrorists," he said, cited by AFP.
Straw arrived in Tehran early Tuesday, coming from Amman – Albawaba.com
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