Wide Arab and international criticism to the Israeli aggressions
Palestine-Regional, Politics, 3/30/2002

A European diplomatic source said that the Spanish foreign minister Jose Maria Aznar whose country is assuming the current presidency of the European Union has phoned the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat and informed him that the EU is embarking on formulating a strong statement condemning the Israeli attack and calls for immediate Israeli withdrawal from Ramullah.

In Paris, the French foreign minister criticized the Israeli tanks breaking into the Ramullah, stressing that the solution will not be through bombardment and threatening. He called on the Israeli forces to pull out from the areas in re-occupied, warning that Sharon's policies will be conducive to a deadlock and the escalation of conditions.

Earlier France has called for immediate halting of the catastrophic military acts and honoring Arafat's safety and security.

For its part, the German government expressed its great concern over the developments of events in the occupied Palestinian territories and called on Israel to halt the escalation.

The Greek foreign minister George Papandreau condemned the Israeli aggression and statements made recently by Sharon on the Palestinian Authority.

The Greek foreign minister said that the dramatic condition in the occupied Palestinian territories requires dynamic initiatives by the international community.

On his visit next week as a delegate for the EU, Papandreau said that this visit is not confirmed because of the atmosphere of war created by Israel.

In Stockholm, the Swedish foreign ministry Anna Linda said in a statement issued on Friday that what happened can not be accepted and that any attempt to destroy the Palestinian leadership is not accepted by the international community and this will only result in further losses and non- stability nor security for Israel.

She added that she was horrified when she heard Sharon's statements in which he vowed to revenge the Palestinian people.

Switzerland, on the other hand, called for complete and immediate withdrawal for the Israeli army from Ramullah and ensuring Arafat's security and safety.

Meantime, some 60 persons of European peace partisans arrived on Friday in Ramullah to express their solidarity with the struggle mounted by the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation.

A source close to those figures that they are part of hundreds of Europeans who came to israel at several shifts from France, Italy, Britain and Switzerland on March 24 in civilian missions in order to protect the Palestinians.

The Israeli forces threatened the European peace partisans to expel them upon their arrival in israel and they were held for several days at Bin Gureon airport to prevent them from carrying out their humanitarian mission.

In Belgium, tens of Belgian people who support the Arab causes demonstrated before the Israeli embassy in Brussels in protest of the continued Israeli attacks and acts of killing the Palestinians.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov stressed that the deterioration of conditions in the Palestinian territories reached a grave situation. He said that the mission of the international community lies in preventing tension.

In Beijing, a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry expressed China's strong concern over the deteriorated conditions in the Palestinian territories after Israel had declared the war against the Palestinians.

However, the US abstained from commenting on the invasion of the Israeli forces to ramullah and al-Beira and storming Arafat's headquarters.

A spokesman for the Pakistani foreign ministry said that Islam Abaad calls on the international community to call on Israel to immediately halt its attack against the Palestinian authority, stressing that these aggressive acts taken by Israel are considered a grave threat to peace in the region, noting that the recent israeli attacks should be condemned especially following the Arab peace plan.

The Islamic wold league denounced the Israeli attacks at al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian people and called on the international community to work for halting the state's terrorism conducted by Israel against the Palestinian people.

In Beirut, thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese on Friday demonstrated in solidarity with the Palestinians in the occupied territories, denouncing the unlimited US support for Sharon's terrorism.

Previous Stories:
  OIC chief hails Arafat's courage, welcomes Saudi initiative   (3/28/2002)
  The withdrawal of the Palestinian delegation, rejoining   (3/28/2002)
  Arafat and the summit   (3/27/2002)

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