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Israeli attacks unjustified: Jaswant
By Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, DEC. 5. The Palestine cause found support in the Lok Sabha today with the Opposition demanding a statement from the Government and the Minister of External Affairs, Mr. Jaswant Singh, obliging with an assurance that there was no deviation whatsoever from the country's avowed position on the issue.
The matter was brought up by the Congress(I) leader, Mr. Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, as soon as `zero hour' began and others in the Opposition were quick to throw in their lot with him on this issue. While Mr. Hannan Mollah spoke for the CPI(M), the matter was also raised by Mr. G. M. Banatwala of the IUML. Both were equally critical of the Israeli attack on Palestinian sovereignty in the guise of fighting terrorism.
Empathising with the Opposition's concern, Mr. Jaswant Singh described the aerial attacks on Palestine as ``completely unjustified''. In an obvious reference to the specific query of Mr. Dasmunshi on whether this Government had changed the country's established position on the Palestine issue, the Minister said there was no deviation.
``There is no change in India's position which has
recognised the Palestinian authority and its leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat,'' the Minister said adding that nothing should be done to undermine the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Mr. Arafat as the situation that would arise then was fraught with danger.
``Deeply concerned'' at the recent escalation of violence in West Asia, Mr. Jaswant Singh stressed the need to break the cycle of violence. Also, he refused to concede to the Congress (I) leader, Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar's demand that the country should condemn the double standards of the U.S. which wanted the world to fight terrorism but was silent on the terrorism unleashed by Israel. All the Minister said to this demand was that irrespective of the position taken by the U.S., India would continue supporting Palestinian sovereignty and Mr. Arafat.
Outside the House also, the matter evoked strong statements with the Congress(I) president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, saying that dialogue and not violence is the answer to the challenge of co-existence. While deploring the attack on Palestine and Mr. Arafat, the Congress has acknowledged that ``the processes of durable peace are damaged and disrupted by terrorism directed at the people and state of Israel''.
Of the view that there can be no durable peace or justice till a sovereign state of Palestine is fully established in the ``homeland for the suffering people of Palestine'', Ms. Gandhi has noted that the only basis for this is the ``land for peace'' formula of the U.N. Security Council resolution 242 and related resolutions.
In a related statement, the CPI accused the Israeli Government of resorting to State terrorism against the Palestinian people and flouting U.N. decisions by refusing to withdraw its forces from occupied territories. The CPI was also critical of the BJP-led Government for failing to come out with a strong criticism of the attacks on Palestine.
PTI reports:
Strongly condemning the Israeli air attacks near Palestinian leader, Mr. Yasser Arafat's office and institutions, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Omar Abdullah, today said there can be no justification for such attacks.
``We are deeply concerned at the recent escalation of violence in the region. The terrorist attacks have to large number of casualties and injuries to very many innocent people. We condemn it but we also strongly condemn Israeli air attacks against office of Mr. Arafat,'' Mr. Abdullah said.
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