Mosley 'understands' invite withdrawal

In a statement released on Friday evening, Mosley said he was grateful to the Minister Majadle for the initial invitation and that he intended to resume contact in the future.

The statement read: "The FIA is grateful to Galeb Majadle, the Israeli Minister for Science, Culture and Sport for extending the FIA an invitation to visit Israel. The FIA is delighted with the recent legalisation of motor sport in the country and intends to offer the Minister every assistance in what promises to be a major addition to motor sport in the region.

"The FIA understands the circumstances under which the Minister's invitation has now been withdrawn.

"FIA President Max Mosley said, 'I fully understand the Minister's position and look forward to resuming contact with him when the News of the World's deliberate and calculated lies have been comprehensively refuted.'

Majadle invited Mosley to visit Isreal after meeting him in Jordan, where the FIA president was making his first public appearance since revelations about his private life were made by the News of the World newspaper.

Mosley was in the country attending Jordan's inaugural round of the World Rally Championship.

But the Isreali government ministry issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying that Majadle had not been aware of the scandal surrounding Mosley when the invitation had been offered, and that it had been withdrawn 'immediately... until the matter is reviewed more thoroughly'.

Mosley faces a vote of confidence about his position during an extraordinary meeting of the FIA's General Assembly in June following the newspaper's expose.

Several national motoring bodies have called on Mosley to resign over the matter, but Mosley insists that he did nothing wrong and that he has received significant support from elsewhere in the motorsport industry.

The invite to attend Israel also held significance because the News of the World alleged that there were elements of Nazism during Mosley's visit to prostitutes. Mosley has strongly denied that suggestion, and is taking legal action, seeking unlimited damages, against the newspaper.