Arab MKs Oppose US Attacks

Jerusalem Post ^ | October 8, 2001 | Gil Hoffman

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Arab MKs oppose US attack By Gil Hoffman JERUSALEM (October 8) - Arab MKs criticized the American and British attack on Afghanistan yesterday, saying that the only way to stop aggression against the United States is to stop the Israeli occupation.

They said that attacks that harm Afghani civilians are unjustified and urged the United States to refrain from using military means in the fight against terrorism.

"What happened on September 11 was a heinous crime, but the answer isn't attacking a sovereign country in a manner that no doubt will result in the loss of more innocent lives," Arab Movement for Renewal MK Ahmed Tibi said.

"Instead of creating such a double standard, the US should attack the root of such actions. The Palestinian occupation causes frustration to every Arab and Muslim, causing many to respond in ways I personally find intolerable."

Hadash Chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh called on the US to stop bombing Afghanistan and instead act to end poverty in the Arab world and Israel's occupation.

"The American attacks spills oil on the flames of terror instead of solving the problem," Barakeh said. "The struggle against terror must focus on drying the swamp in which it thrives and not assaulting the innocent."

Balad MK Azmi Bishara said that the United States is wrong in believing that there is an international conspiracy of terrorists who want to attack the American way of life. Rather, the causes of terrorism need to be isolated in each case and the factors that brought it about must be rectified.

"The United States must undertake a rethinking of its policies on the Palestinians, not only from a tactical standpoint, but in a long-term strategic standpoint," Bishara said.

"[US President George W.] Bush has no strategic vision concerning what has to be changed. But there has to be a rethinking because it is one of the reasons for the bitterness against the United States." Bishara called upon the US to use political and economic means in the latter stages of the conflict.

He said that as a liberal, he is against such attacks because he sees it as "an exhibitionist action that costs civilian victims, without reaching a political solution of any sort."

"The Americans needed to do it for their own public opinion to restore their dignity," Bishara said. "But the most important thing is that civilians won't be hurt and we'll see whether that will be the case."

Due to Simchat Torah the next full edition of the Jerusalem Post will be published on Wednesday, October 10th

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"the answer isn't attacking a sovereign country in a manner that no doubt will result in the loss of more innocent lives," Arab Movement for Renewal MK Ahmed Tibi said."

The next time the Palestinians attack Israel, let's be certain to quote these words back to them to condemn their own actions with their own words...