Asian Muslim nations condemn Israeli attacks

Thousands of Indonesian Muslims in Jakarta protest Israeli attacks on Palestinians

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) -- Predominantly Muslim Pakistan and Malaysia on Friday condemned Israeli attacks on Palestinians and called for a resumption of the peace process.

In Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, thousands took to the streets in the capital Jakarta to protest against the violence and parliament condemned Israel over the bloodshed.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, speaking at a news conference with his Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar after a meeting of the Pakistan-Malaysian Joint Commission, demanded an international commission be established to investigate the situation.

"We condemn the aggressive activities that have been undertaken by Israelis," Syed Hamid said about Thursday's violence.

"We would like the Israelis to stop their aggressive activities and we would like the international community to appoint a commission to investigate what is the real situation in the occupied territories...."

He said he hoped the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians could resume.

Nearly 100 people, most of them Palestinians or Israeli Arabs, have been killed in two weeks of clashes between Israeli security forces and Arab stonethrowers and gunmen.

The crisis reached new heights on Thursday when Palestinians lynched two Israeli soldiers and Israeli helicopter gunships rocketed Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

A suicide attack on a U.S. destroyer in Yemen that killed six sailors and left 11 missing also rocked the region on Thursday.

Sattar deplored the killing of the two Israeli soldiers by a Palestinian mob and said the attack on a U.S. navy ship in Yemen was "unacceptable in international law.

"The government of Pakistan appeals to people everywhere to exercise restraint," he said.

But Sattar said in a prepared statement Israel "must immediately cease all aggressive attacks and abide by the (U.N.) Security Council resolution of October 6 calling for cessation of violence and resumption of negotiations for an early and final settlement of the Middle East issue."

He said: "Brutal bombings of the Palestinian Authority offices and populated neighborhoods by Israeli armed forces and wanton killings of peaceful protesters haves once again exposed the aggressive and repressive character of Israeli policy.

"Condemnation of Israel by the U.N. Security Council warrants immediate follow-up action to secure compliance with civilized norms of international law and respect for the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people."

Indonesia's parliament speaker Akbar Tandjung joined the chorus of condemnation of the United Nations and the United States, accusing them of a weak response compared to their angry reaction to last month's killing of U.N. workers by pro-Jakarta militias in Indonesia's West Timor.

"They're unfair. When three were killed in West Timor, they reacted so fast and pressed us. Now after almost 100 Palestinians have been butchered by the Israelis, they're being so slow," Tandjung said.

"The Indonesia parliament has condemned Israel's brutality."

Thousands of Indonesian Muslims took to the streets of Jakarta, dipping Israeli flags in the blood of a slaughtered goat to protest against Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

Police charged and beat protesters with batons outside the United States embassy after demonstrators hurled stones and firecrackers at police and the embassy fence. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

In the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, some 100 Malaysian Muslims chanted anti-Israel slogans outside the U.S. embassy.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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