Israel has lodged a protest with the British Foreign Office over what it considers to be a change of policy favorable to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Israeli officials arc furious over a March 1 meeting between Foreign Secretary Sir Douglas Hurd and Bassam Abu Sharif, a senior political adviser to PLO leader Yasir Arafat.
The meeting followed bestowal of the title “delegation” on the PLO office in London.
Ehud Olmert, a Likud Cabinet minister without portfolio, raised the issue at a meeting with William Waldegrave, minister of state at the Foreign Office.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews also has protested.
A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said, “It is regrettable that Britain has departed from its traditionally more prudent policy regarding the PLO.”
Citing evidence of PLO cross-border raids, terrorist acts and the murder of Palestinians alleged to have cooperated with Israel, the spokesman said, “Understanding of the PLO’s true nature is a prerequisite for advancement of peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.”
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