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Tunisia ends low-level diplomatic ties with Israel

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October 23, 2000 

TUNIS (AP) - Tunisia has broken off its low-level diplomatic ties with Israel in a show of protest against Israeli violence toward Palestinians, the Foreign Ministry said.

The decision was made in light of "the dangerous escalation ... of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people," the ministry said in a statement released late Saturday.

"Tunisia has decided to immediately close the Israeli liaison office in Tunis and the Tunisian liaison office in Tel Aviv," the statement added.

Israel said it was disappointed with the move.

"Israel is surprised at the Tunisian decision; it appears that Tunisia has elected to renounce its potential role as a bridge for conciliation between Israel and its neighbors therefore harming the critical effort to promote regional peace," Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Tunisia and Israel opened economic interest offices in 1996, one of the lowest forms of diplomatic representation, following a series of interim peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians.

Renewed violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the last three weeks have left nearly 120 dead in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and put Middle East peace talks on hold.

An Arab summit in Cairo, Egypt, ended Sunday with a declaration that Arab states may consider cutting ties with Israel, but did not insist that they do so.

Tunisia's Foreign Ministry said in its statement that the ongoing violence had "resulted in dramatic and serious situations in the occupied territories which threaten to end the peace process."