Euro Parliament Criticizes Israel

Presna Latina
Mar. 16, 2006

The EP censured Tel Aviv for the 10-hour military operation with heavy artillery that left at least two dead and dozens wounded.

Tel Aviv claims the main assassin of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in October 2001 is Ahmad Saadat, head of the Palestinian Popular Liberation Front, but the Jericho attack was to capture six others also accused.

The assault caused a strong reaction from Arabs in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip,

EP Socialist leader Martin Schultz questioned the need to attack that prison, from which US and British observers recently retired.

However, the US and Great Britain said that since the victory of Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in January, the prison has had a reduction in security.

It is widely believed the attack was motivated by the upcoming Israeli elections to be held in two weeks.

Elmar Brok, EP Foreign Relations Committee chair, said the attack removes credibility from the "Middle East Quartet" (US, EU, Russia and UN), and that Palestinians have every justification to stop trusting Western countries.