Israel and the Inter- parliamentary conference

The Israeli minister of Justice Maer Shatreit has cancelled his participation in an official dinner invitation held by the Cuban authorities on Tuesday evening in honor of the participants at the at the conference of the International parliamentary federation currently held in the Cuban capital, Havana.

The Israeli radio said that the Israeli step came after statements said by the chairman of the Cuban parliament at the conference's inaugural session on Sunday on that durable peace in the Middle east will not be available unless Israel withdraws its forces from the Palestinian areas and "halts its barbaric aggression against the Palestinian people."

Shatreit decided to stay in Havana during the current week in order to hold a series of meetings with his counterparts from other countries, taking part in the deliberations of the Inter- parliamentary conference.