(by Massimo Lomonaco)
(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, NOVEMBER 21 - The ambassadors of the
European Union's five largest countries have warned the Israeli
government against destroying the homes of Palestinians
responsible for recent attacks in Jerusalem. Diplomats from
Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain and Spain gathered
Thursday night at the Israeli foreign ministry to say the
reprisals were not only useless, but "counterproductive" for
Israel, fueling greater tensions, Italian embassy sources told
ANSA, confirming a report by the Israel's Haaretz.
On Wednesday, the day after two Palestinian men armed with
guns and butcher knives killed four rabbis and a police officer
in a Jerusalem synagogue before being shot dead, the Israeli
army demolished the home of a man held responsible for a
separate attack that cost the lives of a woman and a baby last
month. In keeping with a policy announced by Israeli Premier
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli army on Thursday launched
procedures to demolish the homes of the two synagogue attackers.
Following a day of apparent calm, tensions on the ground prompted Israel to call a state of alert. Israeli Defence Minister Moshè Yaalon along with other defence and police officials have warned Netanyahu not to deploy troops in East Jerusalem in response to the alarm but, if anything, to increase in the use of border agents, Haaretz reported. The officials warned that retaliatory measures could embroil the army in violent clashes with demonstrators. On Friday, the day of prayer, Muslim worshippers in Jerusalem were granted free access without age restrictions to the Temple Mount. Meanwhile, on the West Bank, Hamas declared yet another "day of rage". Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni called his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman to express Italy's solidarity with Israel "for the despicable terrorist attack" on the synagogue, while stressing "the importance of preserving the status quo in the holy places of Jerusalem in order to prevent the conflict from taking on a religious character".(ANSAmed).
Following a day of apparent calm, tensions on the ground prompted Israel to call a state of alert. Israeli Defence Minister Moshè Yaalon along with other defence and police officials have warned Netanyahu not to deploy troops in East Jerusalem in response to the alarm but, if anything, to increase in the use of border agents, Haaretz reported. The officials warned that retaliatory measures could embroil the army in violent clashes with demonstrators. On Friday, the day of prayer, Muslim worshippers in Jerusalem were granted free access without age restrictions to the Temple Mount. Meanwhile, on the West Bank, Hamas declared yet another "day of rage". Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni called his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman to express Italy's solidarity with Israel "for the despicable terrorist attack" on the synagogue, while stressing "the importance of preserving the status quo in the holy places of Jerusalem in order to prevent the conflict from taking on a religious character".(ANSAmed).
