Palestinians Slam Israel for Dragging Mideast Region into WarA senior Palestinian official on Friday slammed the Israeli government for its "antagonistic" policies that would eventually drag the Mideast region into war."The continuous repressive practices and escalation by the Israeli government and army can never create a durable peace in the region," said Ishaq al-Bedeiri, director of the Palestinian Orient House, in a telephone interview with the Cairo-based Voice of Arabs from East Jerusalem. "The haughtiness of power and military supremacy did not and would never bring about security for the Israelis. Israeli use of force would not solve the problem with the Palestinian people," said Bedeiri, whose Orient House is an unofficial office of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in East Jerusalem. "The picture is gloomy in the Palestinian territories as the Israeli government continues its policies of aggressions, blockade and assassinations," said Bedeiri, criticizing Israel for failing to honor signed agreements and understandings with the Palestinians. He said that power can never make peace, voicing hope that the Israeli public opinion would move in the direction of peace. Bedeiri also warned that Israel is attempting to mislead the public opinion in the world. "The Israelis go everywhere and claim that they want peace; instead, their deeds are to the contrary," he added. The Palestinians and Israelis put into effect a U.S.-brokered truce plan on June 13, but sporadic shootings and confrontation between the two sides have never stopped. The two sides are accusing each other of failing to stick to their agreed terms. The Palestinian side claimed that at least 40 Palestinians have been assassinated in Israel's liquidation campaign since the eruption of the bloodshed between the two sides last September, in which over 600 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed. The latest such attacks occurred on Sunday, in which three Palestinian activists were killed by Israeli helicopter gunships in the West Bank. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |