Jordan Times
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Jordan condemns ‘heinous crime'
By Khalid Dalal
AMMAN, March 23 - His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday condemned the assassination of the spiritual leader and the founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, by Israeli authorities, calling it “a crime that will only lead to further escalation, violence and instability in the region.”
“We feel resentment and pain as a result of the turnout of events which came despite the relentless efforts we have exerted with all concerned parties including the Israeli government to dissuade it from going on with its military escalation policy,” the King told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
King Abdullah urged the Israeli government to halt the escalation and to put an end to its assassination policy. He also emphasized that security and stability will not be achieved until Israel withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories, returns to the negotiations and adheres to the principles of a comprehensive and just peace.
The King also called on the international community to assume its responsibility in bringing the peace process back on track and help spare the region the state of violence and chaos “which we always reject.”
Also on Monday, the government forcefully denounced the killing of the 67-year-old wheelchair-bound Yassin and several other Palestinians in an Israeli helicopter strike in the Gaza Strip yesterday.
“The government was astonished by the Israeli escalation in assassinating Sheikh Yassin. It is another Israeli crime against the Palestinian people and a clear violation of all norms and international conventions,” Prime Minister Faisal Fayez told Petra.
The premier said that such a heinous crime would lead to more violence, instability and bloodshed in the region, adding it will undermine the opportunities of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
While offering the government's condolences to Yassin's family and the Palestinian people, Fayez demanded that Israel withdraw immediately from the occupied Palestinian lands.
The prime minister stressed that the government will continue working on all levels and via all means to stop Israeli violations, put an end to the occupation and protect the Palestinian people and their rights.
Meanwhile, Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader reiterated in her weekly press conference yesterday Jordan's position rejecting totally the policy of assassination “which leads only to more escalation and violence.”
She said the government will make all necessary contacts with the Arab and international community to counter “such a dangerous escalation.”
Khader called on Israel to stop citing security pretexts as justification for killing innocent Palestinian people.
Asked whether the Kingdom, which has a peace treaty with Israel, “is ready” to expel the Israeli ambassador in Amman and freeze ties with the Jewish state in response “to yesterday's crime,” Khader said that any position or move taken by the government will serve the interest of the Jordanian and Palestinian people.
“The government will continue working to revive the Middle East peace plan, the roadmap, and help the Palestinians to end the Israeli occupation of their lands and establish their own viable state.”
In response to another question, the minister said that any Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and any implementation of the Israeli government's unilateral disengagement plan should be part of the roadmap.
According to Khader, the Cabinet held an emergency session yesterday to discuss the repercussions of “Israel's heinous crime.”
“It will be one major issue our Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, who left to Cairo, will discuss when meeting his Arab counterparts at the Arab League,” she said.
Muasher was quoted by the Associated Press in Cairo as saying, “the Quartet [the US, EU, Russia and the United Nations] is responsible for making Israel respect its commitments under the roadmap.”
Parliament also condemned Yassin's killing, saying it was “the assassination of a symbol of Arab and Islamic resistance.”
Both the Senate and the House reiterated their support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against what they termed “Israel's brutal and cowardly aggression which aims at destroying the peace process.”
They called on the Arab leaders, scheduled to hold their 16th summit in Tunis next week, to take a “firm position” against Israel. The legislature also denounced the international community's silence towards “such a terrorist act against one of the most popular Arab and Palestinian political leaders.”
Parliament said the Israeli criminal act was perpetrated while King Abdullah and the government are exerting “sincere efforts” on all Arab and international levels to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, stop the building of the “segregation wall,” and revive the stalled peace process.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian embassy in Amman announced it will be open for three days to receive condolences over the death of Yassin and his companions.