Israel withdraws Mosley invitation

Embattled FIA president Max Mosley today suffered another kick in the teeth as he fights to remain in office.

Mosley had received an official invitation from the Israeli Minister of Science, Culture and Sport, Galeb Majadle, to visit the country and discuss the future of motorsport there.

However, Majadle, who extended the offer to Mosley this week after they met at the inaugural World Rally Championship in Jordan, was unaware of the scandal surrounding the 68-year-old.

On a day when Mosley declared it is business as usual as far as he is concerned and revealed he would be attending the Monaco Grand Prix next month, Majadle withdrew his invite.

An official statement from the ministry read: “The minister for Science, Culture and Sport, Galeb Majadle, who is now in Jordan attending the WRC’s Jordan Rally, met during the course of his visit with the president of the FIA, Mr Max Mosley.

“Their discussions were on the issues of motorsport in Israel, which is in its starting stages, the support it receives from the FIA, and the suggestion the FIA will follow closely the development of this sport in Israel.

“The minister, who was not at all aware of the scandal currently surrounding Mosley’s name, would like to make it now clear that his invitation was not intended to be personal to Mosley himself, but rather to the representative of the FIA as a global organisation.

“In any event, once the scandal was brought to the minister’s attention, he has requested to withdraw immediately any official invitation to Mosley until the matter is reviewed more thoroughly once back in Israel.”

The words ’withdraw immediately’ are highlighted in the original text, with the statement in its entirety adding fuel to the fire surrounding Mosley.

The FIA have issued an official “no comment” on this latest development.

Mosley faces a vote of confidence at an extraordinary meeting of the FIA’s general assembly in Paris on June 3.

Mosley is adamant a sensational Sunday newspaper article printed at the end of last month which made lurid allegations about him was a gross intrusion into his private life.

Mosley has already launched a legal case against the paper, with the matter due to be heard in July.

Before then, he is attempting to carry on with his duties as he sees fit, although it has been suggested he has been shying away from Formula One due to the enormous media interest generated by the story.

In the immediate aftermath of the article, Mosley cancelled a planned trip to attend the Bahrain Grand Prix.

That was at the request of the country’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who felt it would be inappropriate for Mosley to appear.

Many observers felt Mosley should have been present for the FIA launch of their anti-racism campaign at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya yesterday ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.

However, he instead accepted an invite to be present in Jordan, with Monaco now also firmly on the agenda because, as he remarked: “I live there.”

Mosley added: “I will be going to the Monaco Grand Prix.

“I only went to one complete Formula One race last year. That was Monaco, and I was at the complete event because I live there.

“I was only in Spa (for the Belgian Grand Prix last year) because of the McLaren business.

“I never had any intention of going to Barcelona because I had nothing to do there.

“I came to Jordan because of the political importance of this event.

“That’s why I went to Rally Ireland last year and that’s why I go to events. I don’t know when I will next go to a WRC event.”

Mosley has further rubbished suggestions the King of Jordan was unwilling to meet him this weekend.

“I was invited to Jordan by the Prince and I accepted,” stated Mosley.

“For national newspapers to be writing that I had been snubbed by the King of Jordan is completely dishonest.

“I was never supposed to meet him. It was never in the programme, so how can that be a snub?

“I was invited by the Prince and I have spent time with him on several occasions, including having dinner with him on Wednesday night.

“He has been very friendly and welcoming towards me.”