Diplomats from Arab and Muslim states have stayed away from an international disarmament forum today in protest at Israel taking up its presidency.
The Conference on Disarmament, a 41-year-old autonomous bodyunder the United Nations, is holding its regular spring session.
The boycott, ostensibly called to denounce Israel's failure to sign up to global arms control pacts, signalled anger at the Jewish state's crackdown in Palestinian territories despite moves toward Middle East peace, diplomats said.
Some lower-level diplomats stood at the back of the room," asenior Western envoy told journalists. He said there were no verbal attacks on Israel or its alleged nuclear armaments.
Israel, believed to hold some 200 nuclear warheads, hasrefused to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or submit its nuclear installations to inspection by theInternational Atomic Energy Agency, a UN agency.
Yaakov Levy, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations inGeneva, opened today's meeting with a call for "dialogue,recognition and acceptance".
The presidency of the conference, the world's onlymultilateral disarmament negotiating forum, rotates each month among the 66 member states. Israel has been a member for three years.
It is believed to be the first time Israel has headed amajor inter-governmental forum.