Speaker of Welsh Assembly to boycott visit by Israel's Ambassador

Friday June 13, 2008 10:43 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Pointing to Israel's "failure to meet its international obligations to the Palestinian people", the Speaker of the Assembly of the nation of Wales, Dafydd Elis-Thomas, says he will refuse to meet with Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor.

Dafydd Elis-Thomas

Prosor has accused Britain of being a "hotbed for radical anti-Israeli views, and a haven for disingenuous calls for a ‘one-state solution’ – a euphemistic name for a movement advocating Israel’s destruction. Those who propagate this notion distort Israel’s past while categorically denying Israel’s right to exist as a liberal Jewish-democratic state." He added that those who call for a boycott are missing a chance for dialogue.

But human rights advocates say the boycott is the only way to raise the issue of the Palestinian people's rights to an international sphere where action cane be taken on the issue.

In his response to the invitation to meet Prosor, Elis-Thomas wrote, “I am unwilling to accept the invitation to meet the ambassador, because of my objection to the failure of the state of Israel to meet its international obligations to the Palestinian people of the Holy Lands. I would invite other colleagues to do the same.” He wrote this in a private email that was leaked to the press by other Assembly members.

The original invitation was made by Assembly member Mohammad Asghar, the first Muslim member of the Welsh Assembly. Asghar said he was hoping for inter-faith dialogue, and was disappointed with Elis-Thomas' boycott. Despite the boycott by Elis-Thomas, Israeli Ambassador Prosor stated that he will not cancel the planned visit to Wales later this month.

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