Barak Cancels Spain Visit over UNIFIL Command Dispute

Barak was scheduled to meet Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Defense Minister Carme Chacon during his two-day visit which had been scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

The visit will no longer take place due to "agenda reasons", a Spanish foreign ministry spokesman told AFP on Friday.

The "Israeli" embassy in Spain said in a statement that Barak had cancelled his visit "due to an unexpected trip" that he must make to the United States "in the coming days."

This change in his schedule "has no relation with the reports in various media on the change of command at the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon," it added.

"Israel" has asked Italy to try to remain at the head of the 13,000-strong UNIFIL force for at least another six months rather than handing over to Spain as planned, a senior "Israeli" official told AFP in "Israel" on Thursday.

"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.

"Israel's" Haaretz newspaper said Netanyahu's move turned into a serious diplomatic incident.