BBC US condemns Israeli takeover

Israel: Takeover is a "political reversal"

The United States has condemned Israel's takeover of Palestinian political institutions in and around east Jerusalem.

The White House called the move "a serious political escalation" of the conflict and urged Israel and the Palestinians to refrain from further "incitement and provocations".

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, meanwhile, has said Israel's takeover of the Palestinians' unofficial headquarters of Orient House in East Jerusalem would be permanent, Israeli television reported.

Israeli forces took over PLO buildings, including the house of the governor of the Palestinian town of Abu Dis, which borders east Jerusalem, in retaliation for a Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Thursday in which 15 people died, as well as the bomber.

Israeli riot police, some wearing ski masks, poured into Orient House and took control of the compound, arresting seven Palestinian guards in the process.

The Israelis took down the Palestinian flag and briefly replaced it with an Israeli flag in a move condemned by the Palestinian leadership as "contemptuous".

BBC Jerusalem correspondent Nick Childs says Israel's takeover of Orient House is highly symbolic, undercutting the Palestinians' main political foothold in east Jerusalem, while asserting Israel's position.

Israel has long claimed the Palestinians' use of Orient House for political purposes violated interim accords, but has only closed it down once before, temporarily in 1997.

The Palestinians view Orient House as an important part of their future seat of government in an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Israeli 'message'

Israeli Government spokesman Dore Gold says Israel's actions were aimed at demonstrating to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that attacks by Palestinian militants against Israel would result in "political reverses" for the Palestinian Authority.

However, a State Department official said the US was dismayed the move did not appear designed to protect Israel against bombings.

"These actions represent a political escalation, undermine faith and confidence in a negotiated settlement of this conflict and increase the risk of further deterioration of the political situation," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.

Jordan and Egypt led condemnation of the Israeli attacks, and called for the re-opening of Orient House.

"This behaviour by the Israeli forces is part of the chain of provocative Israeli practices which violate agreements," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said.

Several people, including Europeans from the Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, were arrested as hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Orient House later on to protest against the takeover.

The French news agency AFP said the demonstrators tried to break through a cordon around the building but were beaten back by police.

Headquarters bombed

Israel's retaliation began hours earlier when Israeli fighter planes attacked the Palestinian police headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, shortly after the Israeli cabinet met to consider its response to the suicide attack.

Speaking during a tour of the demolished police station, Mr Arafat accused Israel of trying to conquer the Palestinians territory step-by-step.

"This attack is directed against the Palestinian people and is part of an Israeli escalation," he said.

The BBC's James Reynolds says Israel's reaction was not as violent as many Israelis had expected, with some calling for an overwhelming military attack on Palestinian targets.

Meanwhile, Isrraelis buried some of those killed in the Jerusalem bombing, including five members from one family who were buried in Jerusalem's main cemetery.

Thursday's bomb in Jerusalem was the most deadly attack since a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 20 Israelis in Tel Aviv on 1 June - and the worst by far in Jerusalem during the ongoing 10-month Palestinian uprising.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001