29/10/2009 Once again, Israel has a "word" to say…
 
Just a few days after Israel didn't hesitate to inform the United Nations of its intention to continue its violation to the international resolution 1701 under the "pretext" of "collecting intelligence information" on the Lebanese situation, Israel decided to penetrate deeply into the international resolution's concerns…
 
Thus, and at the time the suspicious international silence continues to prevail when Israel is concerned, the Israelis found themselves encouraged to interfere even in issues supposed to be "internal" for the international in Lebanon…
 
Indeed, and according to a senior Israeli official, the Zionist entity has asked Italy to try to remain at the helm of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) rather than handing over the responsibility to Spain as planned.
 
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week called Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and asked him to try to keep the current commander of UNIFIL Claudio Graziano in his post," the official said.
 
Graziano's term is due to end in a few weeks, with Spain slated to take over.
 
Israeli daily Haaretz said Netanyahu's move turned into a serious diplomatic incident, with Spain likely to take up the issue during talks with visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak this week.
 
While the military wanted Netanyahu to press Italy to keep Graziano in his post for at least another six months, the foreign ministry believes Israel should not have become involved to avoid insulting any of the major European countries participating in UNIFIL -- France, Italy and Spain, the daily said.
 
"We have no preference regarding UNIFIL command. We will cooperate with any commander," an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman claimed.

UNIFIL has some 13,000 troops from various countries stationed in southern Lebanon.