Israel is mounting an international campaign to shatter what it perceives to be the increasingly positive image of Yasir Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization in Western Europe and elsewhere. Political circles here let it be known today that they regard yesterday’s bombing of a synagogue in Antwerp in which two persons were killed and over 100 injured as the result of international tolerance of the PLO.
Political circles said there was a direct link between the PLO’s strengthened ties with Moscow and the escalation of terrorist activities. It was announced yesterday that the Soviet Union has extended full diplomatic status to the PLO.
Israel regards this latest move as part of an overall policy to encourage the extremist elements in the Middle East, particularly the rejectionist front, and to create an atmosphere of unrest and instability in the region. The Israelis also charge the Soviets with fomenting unrest in Africa and increasing arms supplies to Libya for that purpose.
Meanwhile, Israeli diplomatic missions in Europe have been instructed to alert their host governments to the new wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel terrorism, as manifested by the Antwerp synagogue bombing. Israel is also preparing a detailed document on the dimensions of Soviet assistance to the PLO which will be circulated to Western European governments.
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