India to replace communication equipment disallowed by Israel

NEW DELHI: India today said it will replace the communication equipment, which were to be gifted to a Palestinian university by President Pranab Mukherjee, after Israel did not allow their entry citing security reasons.

"Four communication devices which have certain frequencies which were not allowed in Israel under their regulations have not been permitted. We will substitute them with other communication devices which have different (frequencies)," Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Vikas Swarup said.

The refusal to clear the items by Israeli authorities appeared as an irritant into Mukherjee's landmark visit to the Jewish state.

Mukherjee, who was in Palestine yesterday was scheduled to gift some computers along with the communication equipment to the India-Palestine Centre for Excellence in Information and Communication Technology at the Al-Quds University in Ramallah, the seat of Palestine Authority.

However, Israel, from where the equipment were to come through, did not allow entry of any communication equipment on grounds of security.

While the Israeli customs cleared the passage of 30 computers which were stuck at the Ashdod port to be moved to the university, the communication systems remained at the Ben Gurion airport.

Al-Quds University is caught in clashes since September after Israel banned for Palestinians the Al Aqsa mosque--the third holiest site of Islam located in the compound of Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif site also revered by Jews.

Ohad Horsandi, Spokesman in the Israel Embassy here, had told reporters yesterday that the computers were cleared by the Customs but equipment which do not adhere to the country's regulations was not allowed.