http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=95873
Israel accuses Straw of anti-Semitism over references to
Palestinian anger
By Phil Reeves in Jerusalem, The Independent, 25 September 2001
Jack Straw will arrive in Israel today amid a storm of criticism over
his sensitive coalition-forging visit to Iran, and particularly over
his authorship of a newspaper article in which he twice referred to
"Palestine".
One Israeli government spokesman, Raanan Gissin, said yesterday that
the Foreign Secretary's words - published in the Iranian media - were
"despicable", "ignorant" and "bordering on anti-Semitism".
The furore began as Mr Straw headed for Tehran for the first visit by
a British foreign minister since the 1979 Islamic revolution. His
article stated 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", a view widely held throughout the international
community, especially among the Europeans. There was fury in Israel,
especially from the right wing, which had been watching with
nervousness as diplomatic courtship tentatively develops between
Britain and Iran, a nation regarded by the Israelis as sponsors of
terrorism.
Ephraim Sneh, the Transport Minister, said the article was "an
obscenity" and a "stab in the back", which "turns Israel from the
victims of terrorism into the accused".
A more restrained statement came from the Israeli Foreign Ministry
which "expressed concern", and warned that the article - published "in
a country dedicated to Israel's destruction" - could encourage rather
than eliminate terrorism.
Mr Straw's use of the word "Palestine", implying recognition of
Palestinian statehood, was regarded by Israeli officials as especially
irksome.
The Foreign Office stood firmly by Mr Straw's article yesterday,
saying there was "never any excuse for terrorism" - and that Mr Straw
had an impeccable record of fighting it - but that there was also a
need to understand the environment in which it is bred. It said his
article was in line with policy.
The rumpus threatened today's meeting between Mr Straw and Mr Sharon,
whom the Foreign Secretary will urge to do all he can to calm the
Israel-Palestinian conflict to pave the way for coalition building
with Arab and Islamic states. But sources indicated it would probably
go ahead.
This is not the first spat between a touring British foreign secretary
and Israel. In 1998, there was an Israeli outcry over a visit by Robin
Cook to Har Homa, a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem, known to
Arabs as Jebel Abu Ghneim.
Mr Cook was mobbed by Israeli protesters and accused of breaking
agreed arrangements for the visit; the Israeli government cancelled
his dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister at the time.
Earlier this month, the French ambassador was given a dressing-down by
Israel for daring to suggest it is wrong to compare its experience of
Palestinian "terrorism" with the US atrocities. The Western powers are
unlikely to view Israel's latest theatrics with tolerance, given the
magnitude of the international crisis.
