UNITED NATIONS - An aide to Secretary-General Annan yesterday attempted to quell criticism of U.N. relations with Israel, but according to the American ambassador, John Bolton, the "fundamental problem" has yet to be addressed by the world body.

After more than two weeks, the head of the U.N. political department, Ibrahim Gambari, answered a letter that Mr. Bolton addressed to Mr. Annan. In it, the ambassador expressed concerns that a photograph of the secretary-general standing under a map of pre-mandatory Palestine could imply tacit approval for erasing Israel from the map.

"I don't detect that we have an answer to [the] fundamental problem yet," Mr. Bolton told reporters yesterday, shortly after receiving Mr. Gambari's letter. "I'd like my original questions answered and I don't think this has happened," he said, adding, however, that he would like to study the letter further.

Mr. Bolton said he would continue the pressure. "The issue is how is it possible this kind of behavior persists of denying the existence of a member state of the United Nations," he said. "I have viewed the map question as a potential pivot point to change this anti-Israel culture."...