|
By Peter Heinlein
Syria's foreign minister has delivered a blistering attack on Israel at the U.N. General Assembly debate. Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara accused Israel of inciting the United States to go to war in Iraq.
In a harshly-worded speech, the Syrian foreign minister said Israel has contributed to "extremist and intolerant policies" that have been advanced in an attempt to find a new enemy after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Minister Farouq al-Shara accused Israel of inciting the United States and the West to wage endless wars in the Middle East to promote the idea that the Arab/Israeli conflict is not the core of the region's problems.
"Israel bears an important share of the responsibility for intensifying and worsening the American predicament in Iraq by avoiding the resumption of the peace process despite the hand extended by the Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese," he said. "This is Israel's course of action may come back to haunt it because its occupation of Arab lands is a major cause of the rejection of the American policies in the broader Middle East."
The Syrian foreign minister said Israel is building a 'racist separation wall' while at the same time refusing to comply with 40 Security Council resolutions and hundreds of General Assembly resolutions demanding Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories.
Mr. al-Shara's speech came hours after Israel's deputy defense minister threatened that Syria may be subject to Israeli strikes to prevent terrorist attacks against Israel and accused President Bashir al-Assad of direct involvement in terrorism.
Syria earlier had accused Israel of terrorism in connection with Sunday's car bomb attack that killed a top official of the Palestinian Hamas organization in Damascus.
The United States has placed Syria on its list of states that sponsor terrorism.
In his General Assembly speech, Foreign Minister al-Shara restated Syria's opposition to terrorism. But he said there is a difference between terrorism and what he called legitimate national opposition movements.
Peter Heinlein, VOA News, the United Nations.
注释：
blistering attack 猛烈的抨击
U.N. General Assembly 联合国大会
incite煽动
extremist 激进的
intolerant 狭隘的
wage 发动
Arab/Israeli conflict 巴以冲突
intensify加强
worsen 恶化
predicament 困境
resumption 恢复
rejection 拒绝
comply with 遵守，照做
Security Council 联合国安全理事会
withdrawal 撤退
deputy defense minister 国防副部长
Damascus 大马士革(叙利亚首都)
|