July 26, 2010: This government is controlled by companies, American, Indian, international and Israeli rulers, says Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne, party leader of the Left Front.

Dr. Karunaratne was addressing a media briefing convened by the Palestine - Sri Lanka Friendship Society in Colombo yesterday on a statement alleged to have been made by the Sri Lankan ambassador to Israel, Air Chief Marshall Donald Perera,  during an interview to a newspaper.

“This proves where our government stands today. There is no need for  doubt. The truth is that this government is purely controlled by Companies, International, American, Indian rulers, and rulers of Israel.

“These actions are designed to achieve their own ends by tricking the Muslim community and the poor community of Sri Lanka and the international community too. Therefore, we must strongly object to this,” said Dr. Karunaratne.

Mujibar Rahman, Secretary of the Palestine - Sri Lanka Friendship Society, addressing the media briefing said that the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel, Air Chief Marshall Donald Perera had made a special statement claiming that the Sri Lankan government would extend support to Israel in order to eliminate terrorism between Israel and Palestine.

“The biggest issue faced by us now is that we know that the whole world including Sri Lanka accepts that there is a problem concerning Palestine.

“Our current President was the first Chairman of the Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine.

“Today we have an ambassador of this government who has gone to Israel and made statements against the Palestine freedom struggle,” said Mujibar Rahman.

Shafeek Rajabdeen, former MP of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress said that as Sri Lankans we had to call back the ambassador concerned.

“If this is the opinion of the government, we condemn him. We totally reject this. As Sri Lankans we must bring him back to the country. We must  appoint a Sri Lankan with good principles to that position,” said Mr.  Rajabdeen.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan ambassador to Israel, Air Chief Marshall Donald Perera has said that he had not made any remark against Palestine during the interview to the newspaper.

He said that during the interview in question, he had only spoken about how Sri Lanka had defeated terrorism.