More ME peace force problems

2006-08-20 21:07

Jerusalem - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday said Israel would not accept the presence of peacekeepers in Lebanon from countries that don't have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, officials said.

The decision complicated efforts by the United Nations to form a 15 000-strong peacekeeping force to help enforce a truce that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

The decision was made at a meeting of Olmert's inner security cabinet, meeting participants said.

"We will not agree that countries which do not have relations with Israel will participate in the multinational force," Olmert was quoted as saying by one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh - Muslim countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel - are among the only countries to have offered front-line troops for the expanded force.

Europe, which had been expected to lead the force, has been slow to make any firm troop commitments.

UN officials have called on Europe to offer more troops to balance commitments from Muslim countries.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Mark Regev urged the international community to follow through on its commitment to provide troops, saying the cease-fire could be in danger if the peacekeepers don't quickly deploy.

"Words alone are not going to solve the Lebanon problem," he said.

"We urge the international community to follow through on its commitment."

- AP