Thursday, 5 October, 2000, 13:36 GMT 14:36 UK

Anti-Israel anger around the world

There have been widespread demonstrations in Arab and Muslim countries against Israel's territorial ambitions towards the Islamic holy places in Jerusalem and the killing of protesters in the Palestinian territories.

The most significant incident was in Damascus on Wednesday, when police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who stoned the United States embassy.

A Syrian protester who tore down the US flag was arrested Washington subsequently issued a worldwide alert for US nationals abroad and some diplomatic missions were closed to the public in sensitive locations.

The Syrian protest was a rare display of public unrest in a country which is usually under strict control.

Gulf response

A less spontaneous demonstration came from Iraq, where President Saddam Hussein was shown on TV banging the table in anger at the Arab countries' failure to defend Palestinian rights.

A calculated insult to Barak in Egypt's government newspaper While the Iraqi leader was raging against Israel - which he claimed he would destroy if given adjacent territory - other Arab governments responded to the crisis with offers of medical aid.

Kuwait dispatched a military cargo plane with supplies for the Palestinians, while Saudi Arabia sent three truckloads of medicines and said its hospital facilities would be made available to Palestinians wounded by the Israelis.

A more unusual shipment is reportedly being organised in Dubai, where an Emirates businessman wants to send 50 truckloads of "extra hard" rock and half a million slingshots to the Palestinian territories to use against the Israeli army.

Siddiq Fateh Ali bin Abdullah al-Khaja told the Khaleej Times he was getting "Suwan rocks of the UAE mountains, known for being extra hard".

Egyptian students objected to Mr Barak's coming In Egypt, where the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, had been due for a continuation of summit talks after Paris, there were protests at universities.

Students at Alexandria University shouted: "Barak get out! Egypt will always remain clean."

'Holy war'

In Tehran's Palestine Square, thousands of demonstrators have gathered amid growing calls for holy war against Israel in defence of Jerusalem's Islamic holy places.

A representative of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas, Khalid Mish'al, called for the destruction of the state of Israel and said: "God willing, the blood of Iranian and Palestinian brothers will be spilled at the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

He condemned Palestinian efforts to negotiate agreements to quell the violence, which was greeted by chants of "Death to Arafat".

There are reports of angry protests in various other countries, especially those with large Muslim populations.

Indonesia: Muslim youths in Jakarta burned US and Israeli flags Lebanon: Children marched through Palestinian refugee camps Jordan: A crowd prevented from marching on the Israeli embassy US: Marches and demonstrations in various cities

In the Danish capital Copenhagen, a group of more than 4,000 Palestinian protesters gathered for a very rancorous demonstration on Wednesday.

In a marked display of anger towards the Palestinian authorities, the crowd also mobbed Mr Arafat's representative in Denmark, who fled the scene to calls of "traitor".

Danish police have now stepped up security around Israeli and Jewish sites in Copenhagen. Seven people were reported hurt and 48 were arrested during the protest. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_957000/957482.stm

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), October 05, 2000