Israeli crimes against Palestinian civilians can never be forgiven, the Saudi Defense Minister said as the Kingdom's press lashed out Sunday at the United States as well as on Israel.
The Israeli "aggression" against the Palestinians is "a crime that can never be forgiven, and we should never forgive those who support it," said Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, quoted by the official SPA agency.
Arabs and Palestinians accuse the United States of backing Israel in its attacks against unarmed Palestinian civilians.
Prince Sultan's statement came after more than 40 Palestinians were killed on Friday when Israeli forces occupied Palestinian refugee camps, while F-16s and helicopter gunships attacked targets in the West Bank and Gaza.
Meanwhile, Saudi newspapers slammed at Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's "murderous" policies, and charged that the visits of US envoys to the Mid-East region seek to abort the 18-month-old Palestinian intifada,.
"Two American envoys, Anthony Zinni and (US Vice President) Dick Cheney, are coming. They, as reports indicate, represent the mattress and the pillow of the Israeli body, which, like the Palestinian (body), has started to bleed," Al-Riyadh daily said, according to AFP.
"The main object for them is to abort the second Palestinian intifada. The Palestinian leadership and factions must be aware of this," said the daily, referring to the 18-month Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule.
It urged Palestinians to reject any "partial" settlement and to insist on a total solution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Gazette said Sharon was "apparently afraid of the universally acclaimed Saudi peace plan," which offers Israel full relations with Arab states in return for withdrawal of all occupied territories.
"This is a big threat to Sharon who has been successful in destroying the progress that was made on the peace front since 1991," the daily added.
Okaz newspaper urged Arabs to upgrade their response to the Israeli "aggressions."
"Our reaction must be at the level of their aggressions ... which are totally ignored by the international (peace) sponsors as envoys, who will do nothing except prolong the waiting, arrive," the paper said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
