Israel criticized the Security Council on Wednesday for failing to pass a formal resolution calling for an end to the bloodshed in Beirut.
The Foreign Ministry said it was “regrettable” that the Security Council limited itself only to an “expression of sorrow” by the its current president, Hucine Djoudi of Algeria.
The Security Council consulted Tuesday evening at the request of Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, who asked for a “concerted effort” by the Security Council to work toward a cease-fire in Lebanon, where fighting between Christian and Syrian-backed forces has been intense.
The consultation did not result in a formal resolution. Instead, Djoudi’s statement “deplored the intensification” of fighting in Lebanon, expressed “great disquiet at the loss of human lives” and called for a cease-fire on the part of “all parties.”
“The statement does not even mention Syria by name,” said the Foreign Ministry in a statement. “Surely the tragic situation in Lebanon warrants more decisive action by the Security Council.”
Barukh Binah, spokesman for the Israeli mission, said the council never hesitates in trying to condemn Israel when there is disapproval of its actions.
According to the Foreign Ministry, fighting in Lebanon has left an estimated 700 dead and over 3,000 wounded since March.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
