Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Amr Moussa has urged the international community to help halt Israel's state terrorism against the Palestinians, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported on Saturday.
"Israel exploited the September 11 events, the ensuing anti-Arab and anti-Muslim campaigns and the world preoccupation with anti- terror war to mount up its horrible terrorist aggressions on the Palestinians," Moussa said in an address, read by AL Legal Affairs Department head Mohammad Radwan.
Addressing an international conference on terrorism and human rights, which opened in Cairo late Saturday, Moussa said that Israel capitalized on the world silence to continue its brazen violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
He called for the world community to issue an urgent and pressing appeal to give up a double standard in dealing with Israel's aggression and state terrorism.
Moussa's remarks came amid the worsening situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and reports that the US is considering whether to sever its ties with the Palestinian National Authority.
Late Friday, Israeli F-16 warplanes fired missiles at Gaza City and the West Bank town of Tulkarm, killing at least one Palestinian security man and injuring about 40 others.
The Israeli air raids were apparently in retaliation for a suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv earlier on Friday, during which 26 Israelis were wounded.
Moussa also said that Arab countries, which have suffered from terrorism for a long period, recognize the necessity of combatting terrorism.
"This should be done within the framework of an international agreement that clearly defines terrorism and distinguishes it from legitimate rights to resist occupation," he stressed.
(China Daily January 27, 2002)
