— A reception given here by the Palestine Liberation Organization to mark “International Solidarity Day With the Palestinian People” failed to attract prominent West German political figures. In a move reflecting the current West German government’s mood of rethinking its Middle East stance, the Foreign Ministry sent only two low-ranking officials to the reception. Last year the Bann government was represented at the same event by a high-ranking official and a number of West German notables also attended.
According to an article in yesterday’s “Die Welt,” the government’s cool attitude toward the PLO may be the result of a statement made here two weeks ago by Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel which called on Bonn to refrain from giving political weight to the PLO.
The PLO representative himself blamed the absence of many would-be guests on inclement weather and a recent partial strike by German postal workers. Two non-Arab ambassadors represented at the reception were those of the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China.
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