“A Tooth for Tooth. . .“ Another Suicide Bombing

As Israel has been launching retributive attacks for consecutive suicide bombings, yet another attack took place in Jerusalem on December 5.

The Israeli police reported "Around 7:30 am, the bomber self-exploded outside the King David Hotel, located in the center of Jerusalem, and wounded three bystanders waiting for a bus."

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately issued a statement which forcefully stated, "If Yasser Arafat`s Palestinian authorities cannot stop terrorists, we will take action ourselves."

Israeli forces began the second day of a large-scale attack on the 4th, which destroyed eight Palestinian security offices in Ramallah across the Jordan river. Palestinian officials reported that the Israeli F-16 fighter jets bombed Palestinian security offices located in residential areas, killing 2 teenagers, wounding 60 grade school children, a total of 150 wounded.

As Israel`s attack became more fierce and Arab leaders` opposition increased, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell sent a message to Israel saying, "We acknowledge Israel`s right to defend itself but we ask that Israel refrain from responding with excessive force." reported a U.S. State Department official on the 4th.

France`s Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine strongly criticized Israel saying, "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon demanding Arafat`s cabinet government to take responsibility for the suicide bombing is a completely wrong interpretation. Israel is intentionally trying to destroy Arafat and the Palestinian government."

Bulent Ecevit, Prime Minister of Turkey, also said, "Prime Minister Sharon is taking an extreme and unfair stance toward the Palestinian government. If this position leads to war, the situation will become much more dangerous than Afghanistan."

Arab leaders from Saudi Arabia, Arab Emirates, and Yemen held an emergency teleconference on the 4th, denounced Israel, and Abdullah II, King of Jordan, proposed an emergency Arab minister meeting in Cairo, Egypt on the 9th.

Yoon Yang-Sup lailai@donga.com