Barak cancels Spain visit over UNIFIL issue.

Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak has cancelled a scheduled visit to Spain over controversy on the fate of Italian General Claudio Graziano head of United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Beirut influential daily newspaper AN NAHAR reported on Saturday. Barak was scheduled to visit Spain next week to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Defense Minister Carme Chacon and Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The visit has been cancelled after reports in the Israeli media suggested that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu had requested Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to extend the tenure of Graziano as commander of UNIFIL, "causing diplomatic tension between Israel and Spain," the paper said while quoting Israeli newspaper Haaretz. In the meantime, a press release issued by the Israeli embassy in Madrid said "Barak's visit to Spain was canceled due to an unscheduled visit that he has to make to the US. The cancellation is not connected to changes in UNIFIL command," the press release said. Graziano's command of the international interim force is due to expire in the coming few weeks. It is up to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to decide a successor.