Israel accuses UN over tape

Binyamin Ben Eliezer says the UN is working under Hezbollah's "threatening hand"

By Frank Gardner in Jerusalem

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer has accused the UN of bowing to the demands of Hezbollah in a row over a video tape taken at the scene of the abduction of three Israeli soldiers last year.

Israel wants the tape to be released in its original form, while the UN wants to first obscure the faces of the Hezbollah fighters.

Mr Ben Eliezer told Israeli army radio that the UN was working under the "threatening hand" of Hezbollah.

On Monday, Hezbollah's leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, warned that if the tape was shown to Israel then his organisation would consider the United Nations to be spying for the enemy.

Clues

Israel is outraged that the UN at first denied the existence of the 30-minute video film, which it hopes provides clues as to the fate of its soldiers.

One of the three abducted soldiers

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has already appealed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to hand over all material relating to the abduction of the troops

In what one Israeli newspaper described as a "harsh" telephone conversation, Mr Sharon spoke to Mr Annan late on Monday.

But the UN finds itself caught in an impossible position as it attempts to be seen as a neutral broker by all sides.

Its credibility in the Middle East is being called into question.

Mr Annan has reportedly apologised to Mr Sharon for the UN's initial denial that the tape existed.

Ordinary Israelis are deeply suspicious of the UN.

Hezbollah warned that it might regard UN troops as spies

Many suspect its peacekeepers of taking bribes from Hezbollah not to interfere in last October's abduction - something the UN categorically denies.

Many Palestinians feel that UN is an American - and pro-Israeli - lap-dog.

Hezbollah is still keeping the men in a secret location and is refusing to provide any information about them or a fourth Israeli captive until Israel agrees to release several Arab prisoners it is holding.

Although nine months have passed since the soldiers were abducted, Israel believes the video-tape may provide new clues for its analysts.