Speaking in Israel yesterday regarding the recent wave of Palestinian terror attacks, which resulted in the murder of an American tourist. US Vice-President Biden reiterated American support for Israel and condemned the Palestinian leadership's implicit support for terrorism. Biden said, "The United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn these acts. This cannot become an accepted modus operandi. This cannot be viewed by civilized leaders as an appropriate way in which to behave... "
From The New York Times:
...In an unusually stinging critique on Wednesday, Mr. Biden said the United States not only deplored the recent wave of Palestinian attacks, including the fatal stabbing attack that killed an American graduate student soon after Mr. Biden landed, but also “condemns the failure to condemn these acts.” It appeared to be a veiled reference to the silence of President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, whom Mr. Biden met hours later.
...In an unusually stinging critique on Wednesday, Mr. Biden said the United States not only deplored the recent wave of Palestinian attacks, including the fatal stabbing attack that killed an American graduate student soon after Mr. Biden landed, but also “condemns the failure to condemn these acts.” It appeared to be a veiled reference to the silence of President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, whom Mr. Biden met hours later.
Mr. Biden made the pointed statement as he stood beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, one day after a Palestinian man fatally stabbed Taylor Force, 28, an American combat veteran and a first-year M.B.A. student at Vanderbilt University, and wounded several other tourists and Israelis.
“Let me say in no uncertain terms: The United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn these acts,” Mr. Biden said, adding, “This cannot be viewed by civilized leaders as an appropriate way in which to behave.”
Mr. Netanyahu said that “unfortunately President Abbas has not only refused to condemn these terrorist attacks, his Fatah party actually praised the murderer of this American citizen as a Palestinian martyr and a hero.”
Palestinian leaders blame growing popular anger over Israeli policies and the lack of any formal peace process for the violence.
During Mr. Biden’s meeting with Mr. Abbas later Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Mr. Abbas conveyed his condolences to Mr. Biden for the death of Mr. Force, according to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, but he also emphasized that some 200 Palestinians had been killed in recent months by the Israeli authorities. Mr. Abbas apparently did not mention that most of them were killed while they were carrying out attacks or were suspected of attempting attacks against Israelis..
No comments:
Post a Comment