GENEVA, May 27: Senior diplomats from Arab and Muslim states stayed away from a major international disarmament forum on Tuesday to protest against Israel taking up its presidency, diplomats said.

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, they added.

The Conference on Disarmament, a 41-year-old autonomous body under the United Nations, is holding its regular spring session.

Yaakov Levy, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, opened Tuesday’s meeting with a call for “dialogue, recognition and acceptance”.

The presidency of the conference, the world’s only multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, rotates each month among the 66 member states. Israel has been a member since 1996.

It is believed to be the first time Israel has headed a major inter-governmental forum.

“It is an historic day,” Levy told Reuters, declining to comment on the snub.

In a brief speech, Levy assured the forum of his country’s “deep commitment to the values of this conference”.

“We all have legitimate security concerns.... Dialogue, recognition and acceptance will enable us to successfully carry the heavy burden that has been placed upon us,” he added.

The presidency coincides with efforts to salvage the Middle East peace process, with a US-backed “road map” outlining reciprocal steps leading to an end to 32 months of violence and the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005. Israel’s cabinet approved the plan on Sunday, with reservations.

“Israel’s signing should make it harder to maintain this semi-official boycott,” said one Western diplomat.

Envoys from Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia are believed to have stayed away. Turkey’s delegation was present.

“There were no Arab ambassadors and their chairs were empty,” a senior Western envoy told Reuters.

Israel, believed to hold some 200 nuclear warheads, has refused to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) or submit its nuclear installations to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency, a UN agency.—Reuters