U.N. Responds To U.S. Protests Over Removing Israel From Map

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's office has responded to U.S. complaints about an event that featured a, "Map of Palestine" from which the nation of Israel had been expunged.

The New York Sun has the story:

An aide to Secretary-General Annan yesterday attempted to quell criticism of U.N. relations with Israel, but according to the American ambassador, John Bolton, the "fundamental problem" has yet to be addressed by the world body.

After more than two weeks, the head of the U.N. political department, Ibrahim Gambari, answered a letter that Mr. Bolton addressed to Mr. Annan. In it, the ambassador expressed concerns that a photograph of the secretary-general standing under a map of pre-mandatory Palestine could imply tacit approval for erasing Israel from the map.

If Secretary-General Annan expects that to be the end of the issue, he may be mistaken. The Sun quoted U.S. Ambassador Bolton as saying:

"I don't detect that we have an answer to [the] fundamental problem yet," Mr. Bolton told reporters yesterday, shortly after receiving Mr. Gambari's letter. "I'd like my original questions answered and I don't think this has happened," he said, adding, however, that he would like to study the letter further.

Mr. Bolton said he would continue the pressure. "The issue is how is it possible this kind of behavior persists of denying the existence of a member state of the United Nations," he said. "I have viewed the map question as a potential pivot point to change this anti-Israel culture."

See previous posts:
Maps In The News
U.N. Ambassador Formally Protests Removing Israel From Map