Flame
04-02-2002, 07:49 PM
ÂÂÂÂÂAnti-Israeli anger swept the Arab world and Arab
communities in Western Europe yesterday, with
synagogues torched in France and Belgium and a mob in
Cairo driven away from the Israeli Embassy with water
cannons.
ÂÂÂÂÂIslamic countries at a major meeting in Malaysia,
meanwhile, condemned Israeli military actions but were
split over whether to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers
as terrorists.
ÂÂÂÂÂFrance deployed hundreds of police to guard Jewish
buildings yesterday after a synagogue was burned down
during a spate of anti-Semitic attacks.
ÂÂÂÂÂAn overnight arson attack in the southern city of
Marseille was the third such blaze in a weekend of
incidents that France's most senior Jewish leaders have
compared to Nazi-era atrocities.
ÂÂÂÂÂ"It's the first time in the history of French Judiasm
that a synagogue has been wiped from the map this way,"
said Zvi Ammar, head of the Jewish Consistory in
Marseille.
ÂÂÂÂÂFrench President Jacques Chirac, on a visit to the
northern city of Le Havre, said, "These acts are completely
unimaginable, unpardonable, indescribable and should be
investigated and punished as such."
ÂÂÂÂÂ Israel's siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in
the West Bank has stirred anger at Jews among France's
4-million-strong Arab population.
ÂÂÂÂÂUnknown assailants also hurled firebombs at a
synagogue in the Belgian capital of Brussels, causing
damage inside but no injuries.
ÂÂÂÂÂThroughout the Middle East, Arab protests against
Israel escalated, with an Egyptian demonstration the most
violent.
ÂÂÂÂÂAfter a group of artists, intellectuals and opposition
politicians called for a march from Cairo University to the
nearby Israeli Embassy, hundreds of marchers ran toward
the embassy and broke through a line of riot police.
ÂÂÂÂÂPolice responded with tear gas and water cannons
and beat demonstrators with their batons, pushing them
back to a spot near the campus. The protest lasted seven
hours.
ÂÂÂÂÂThirty protesters were arrested, and nine police
officers were struck by stones. Sixteen protesters — most
suffering the effects of tear gas — were hospitalized after
the clashes.
ÂÂÂÂÂIn Jordan, about 300 protesters, mostly women,
staged a candlelight march on the U.S. Embassy in Amman,
where they called on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to
intervene.
ÂÂÂÂÂ"Beloved Saddam, strike at Tel Aviv," the protesters
chanted in front of a line of police before the embassy.
ÂÂÂÂÂLibyan leader Moammar Gadhafi led a march in his
capital, Tripoli, and called on Arab countries to open their
borders to let Arab volunteer fighters in to help the
Palestinians.
ÂÂÂÂÂSome 20,000 Sudanese marched through their
capital, Khartoum, carrying banners declaring: "No peace
with the Zionists."
ÂÂÂÂÂMore than 500 Lebanese and Palestinian
demonstrators demanding that Egypt sever relations with
Israel tried to storm the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut but
were dispersed by dozens of policemen.
ÂÂÂÂÂIn Malaysia, where delegates from Islamic countries
met for a conference, participants were split yesterday
about whether to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers as
terrorists.
ÂÂÂÂÂThe delegates passed a unanimous resolution
accusing Israel of "dragging the region toward an all-out
war" and calling for U.N. sanctions to deter Israeli military
action.
ÂÂÂÂÂFault lines appeared immediately as the Palestinian
representative disagreed with Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad, the meeting's host, who said that
suicide bombers killing Israeli civilians should be
condemned.
ÂÂÂÂÂMr. Mahathir, a vital U.S. ally in the campaign
against Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, called for
agreement that any attack on civilians — by the September
11 hijackers, Israel's army or Palestinian suicide bombers
— be labeled terrorism.
communities in Western Europe yesterday, with
synagogues torched in France and Belgium and a mob in
Cairo driven away from the Israeli Embassy with water
cannons.
ÂÂÂÂÂIslamic countries at a major meeting in Malaysia,
meanwhile, condemned Israeli military actions but were
split over whether to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers
as terrorists.
ÂÂÂÂÂFrance deployed hundreds of police to guard Jewish
buildings yesterday after a synagogue was burned down
during a spate of anti-Semitic attacks.
ÂÂÂÂÂAn overnight arson attack in the southern city of
Marseille was the third such blaze in a weekend of
incidents that France's most senior Jewish leaders have
compared to Nazi-era atrocities.
ÂÂÂÂÂ"It's the first time in the history of French Judiasm
that a synagogue has been wiped from the map this way,"
said Zvi Ammar, head of the Jewish Consistory in
Marseille.
ÂÂÂÂÂFrench President Jacques Chirac, on a visit to the
northern city of Le Havre, said, "These acts are completely
unimaginable, unpardonable, indescribable and should be
investigated and punished as such."
ÂÂÂÂÂ Israel's siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in
the West Bank has stirred anger at Jews among France's
4-million-strong Arab population.
ÂÂÂÂÂUnknown assailants also hurled firebombs at a
synagogue in the Belgian capital of Brussels, causing
damage inside but no injuries.
ÂÂÂÂÂThroughout the Middle East, Arab protests against
Israel escalated, with an Egyptian demonstration the most
violent.
ÂÂÂÂÂAfter a group of artists, intellectuals and opposition
politicians called for a march from Cairo University to the
nearby Israeli Embassy, hundreds of marchers ran toward
the embassy and broke through a line of riot police.
ÂÂÂÂÂPolice responded with tear gas and water cannons
and beat demonstrators with their batons, pushing them
back to a spot near the campus. The protest lasted seven
hours.
ÂÂÂÂÂThirty protesters were arrested, and nine police
officers were struck by stones. Sixteen protesters — most
suffering the effects of tear gas — were hospitalized after
the clashes.
ÂÂÂÂÂIn Jordan, about 300 protesters, mostly women,
staged a candlelight march on the U.S. Embassy in Amman,
where they called on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to
intervene.
ÂÂÂÂÂ"Beloved Saddam, strike at Tel Aviv," the protesters
chanted in front of a line of police before the embassy.
ÂÂÂÂÂLibyan leader Moammar Gadhafi led a march in his
capital, Tripoli, and called on Arab countries to open their
borders to let Arab volunteer fighters in to help the
Palestinians.
ÂÂÂÂÂSome 20,000 Sudanese marched through their
capital, Khartoum, carrying banners declaring: "No peace
with the Zionists."
ÂÂÂÂÂMore than 500 Lebanese and Palestinian
demonstrators demanding that Egypt sever relations with
Israel tried to storm the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut but
were dispersed by dozens of policemen.
ÂÂÂÂÂIn Malaysia, where delegates from Islamic countries
met for a conference, participants were split yesterday
about whether to condemn Palestinian suicide bombers as
terrorists.
ÂÂÂÂÂThe delegates passed a unanimous resolution
accusing Israel of "dragging the region toward an all-out
war" and calling for U.N. sanctions to deter Israeli military
action.
ÂÂÂÂÂFault lines appeared immediately as the Palestinian
representative disagreed with Malaysian Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohamad, the meeting's host, who said that
suicide bombers killing Israeli civilians should be
condemned.
ÂÂÂÂÂMr. Mahathir, a vital U.S. ally in the campaign
against Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, called for
agreement that any attack on civilians — by the September
11 hijackers, Israel's army or Palestinian suicide bombers
— be labeled terrorism.