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World Condemnation Of Israeli Atrocities !!

SomaliNet Forum (Archive): Islam (Religion): Archive (Before Oct. 29, 2000): World Condemnation Of Israeli Atrocities !!
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Hakim

Wednesday, October 04, 2000 - 01:16 am
World Condemnation Of Israeli Atrocities On Palestinian Civilians by Ali Abdullahi


The international community, in the strongest language yet, has condemned Israel's violence inflicted on civilian Palestinians, which has taken more than 50 lives in the past five days.

The worst fighting in four years has also wounded about 1,000 people. The riot was triggered by a visit on Thursday by Israeli right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon - known to be antagonistic towards Palestinians - to a site in Jerusalem under Muslim guardianship.

Demonstrations in the Arab world has used terms such as "Zionist butchery" and "savage massacres" to describe the violence. Anti-Israeli demonstrations followed in Lebanon, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates as well.

Afghanistan's Islamic regime and Iraq called for the Muslim world to retaliate with force against Israel.

On Tuesday, Britain Foreign Secretary Robin Cook called on Israelis and Palestinians to end the flare-up in violence, saying it was "vital that both sides find a way to end the violence and go ahead with negotiations" to achieve peace.

In a press conference, Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono urged calmness after five days of violence between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators.

"We must not allow there to be more victims and this should not get in the way of an important opportunity that could bring a fair and lasting peace to the Middle East. Our country will ask both parties not to resort to violence and not to provoke each other," said Kono.

"We cannot allow these clashes to continue and lead to any more killings," added Japan's foreign ministry deputy press secretary, Ryuichiro Yamazaki.

"We strongly call upon the parties concerned to exercise the utmost restraint from confrontation so as to calm the situation down at the earliest opportunity," he told reporters.

Vietnam, which has traditionally been a strong supporter of the Palestinians, has, in recent years developed its relations with Israel. They also condemned the killings and urged an end for the violence.

"We hope that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders will do everything necessary to bring the situation back under control, put an end to the conflict and avoid an escalation of violence leading to further casualties and damage," said Phan Thuy Thanh, Vietnam Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, more than 20,000 Palestinian refugees took to the streets in Sidon, Lebanon, vowing to carry arms against Israel if it continues to attack Palestinian civilians with helicopters and missiles. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said the Israelis had carried out "savage massacres."

Lahoud said, "Once again the Israeli crimes committed on occupied Arab lands against Palestinian citizens, including children, women and elderly, prove that Israel represents the ugliest image of state terrorism."

He also lashed out at the "terrorist Sharon ... who with the approval and protection of the Israeli government desecrated the al-Aqsa mosque."

In Baghdad, where more than 10,000 people demonstrated against "Zionist butchery", Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf rejected an Arab League proposal for a U.N. commission of inquiry into the killings and called for war.

"Instead of an inquiry by parties whose decisions and policies are dictated by the Jewish gang at the Black House [a sarcastic reference to Washington's White House], Iraq calls for a jihad," or holy war, he said.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad also denounced Sharon's visit as an "insult to Arab sentiments, Muslim and Christian." The visit, under the protection of a massive Israeli security force, "is concrete proof of the implication of the Israeli government in the bloody incidents in Jerusalem," he said.

Speaking on her arrival in Germany to attend ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of German reunification, United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she had discussed the crisis on Monday with both Israeli Prime minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat and that the leaders were "eager" to attend talks in Paris this week aimed at reviving peace efforts following the worst violence between their peoples in four years.

Albright however was more cautious, saying the two would "probably" meet together but that it was not certain, sources revealed.

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