Haaretz
Tamuz 20, 5766
BRUSSELS - The
European Union accused Israel yesterday of using "disproportionate" force
in response to Wednesday's raid by Hezbollah, while U.S. President George
W. Bush said that Israel must not do anything to weaken the Lebanese
government.
"The European Union is greatly concerned about the
disproportionate use of force by Israel in Lebanon in response to attacks
by Hezbollah on Israel," said a statement issued by Finland, which holds
the EU's rotating presidency. "The presidency deplores the loss of
civilian lives and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The
imposition of an air and sea blockade on Lebanon cannot be justified."
EU spokeswoman Emma Udwin said that EU foreign ministers could
discuss on Monday whether the Israel Defense Forces attacks on Lebanon
were compatible with the bloc's trade and cooperation agreement with
Israel, which is conditional on respect for international law. She
stressed, however, that the EU recognized "Israel's right to defend
itself."
Bush, speaking at a news conference after a meeting with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said: "Israel has the right to defend
herself. Secondly, whatever Israel does should not weaken the ...
government in Lebanon."
Speaking off the record, a U.S.
administration official added: "We are urging restraint on both sides,
recognizing Israel's right to defend itself."
United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan will send a three-person team to the Middle
East to urge all parties to exercise restraint and help defuse the crisis
in the region, a spokesman said yesterday.
The EU called on all
sides to halt the violence and avoid more civilian casualties.
"I've always felt that Israel has a right to ensure its security,
but I've also said that disproportionate attacks are not useful," EU
Development Commissioner Louis Michel told reporters. "I regret the fact
that the reaction was disproportionate."
French Foreign Minister
Philippe Douste-Blazy also called Israel's strikes on Lebanon, and
particularly the bombardment of Beirut Airport, "a disproportionate act of
war."
"For several hours, there has been a bombardment of an
airport of an entirely sovereign country, a friend of France,"
Douste-Blazy told Europe 1 radio station. "This is a disproportionate act
of war."
France supported "Lebanon's demand for a referral to the
United Nations Security Council as soon as possible," he continued, adding
the risk of a regional war "absolutely" existed. "The only solution is a
return to reason by both sides," he said, adding that France condemned
Hezbollah's firing of rockets into northern Israel and its kidnapping of
two soldiers.
Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Kamynin also
condemned both Israel's strikes and Hezbollah's abduction of the soldiers.
"The continued destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon
and the Palestinian territories and the disproportionate use of force by
Israel, which causes suffering to the civilian population, can be neither
understood nor justified," he said. "Equally unacceptable are any
manifestations of terrorism and the taking of hostages, who must be
released immediately and unconditionally."
The Spanish Foreign
Ministry said that it "demands an end to the armed aggression against
Israel and the immediate liberation of the kidnapped soldiers," but also
called on "Israel to act with moderation and in proportion to these
events, given the need to avoid a spreading of violence."