Jordan’s Foreign Minister Dr. Marwan Muasher on Sunday summoned the Israeli ambassador in Amman. The minister expressed rage and condemnation of the Jordanian government for the irresponsible Israeli actions in the past days, particularly its actions Sunday by storming the building where Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's office is located and its presence a few meters away from the president's room, Petra news agency reported.
Jordan threatened sanctions against Israel if the Israeli army did not immediately leave Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
Elsewhere, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told Israel's ambassador, Gideon Ben-Ami, that Israel was refusing to heed clear warnings about the sharp deteriorations in events in the region.
Maher said in an interview with Egyptian television that "If Israel received the message I passed on to them via the their ambassador, then they are are ignoring it."
He told the interviewer he was surprised at the Israeli ambassador's statements that it was showing restraint in clashes with Palestinians. "What kind of talk is this? They killed over 1,200 people ... use tanks, this is restraint?
"Does this mean," Maher reportedly told the ambassador, "that if you could you'd use nuclear weapons against the Palestinians?"
Meanwhile, Egypt’s presidential political adviser Dr Usamah al-Baz has said that Israel would be the losing party, economically, militarily and politically, if it should seek a regional war in the Middle East.
In a televised interview Saturday night, al Baz said that Israel was fully aware of that fact. He condemned the Israeli government's attacks on the Palestinian territories and called on Israel to stop what he termed as the arrogance of force and intransigence.
He said the Israeli government attitude does not conform with the norms pursued by civilized nations pointing out that Israel was not willing in any way to approach a final solution to the Palestinian problem. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
