Israel continued to come under sharp criticism from European leaders and church groups for measures it has taken to quell rioting by Palestinians in the administered territories.
Meanwhile, Premier Brian Mulroney of Canada emerged as one of the few, if not the only, major national leader to express understanding of Israel’s situation. He said Tuesday night that Israel has exercised “visible restraint” and “political responsibility” in dealing with disturbances in the territories.
Canadian Foreign Minister Joe Clark had told Parliament Monday night that “Canada has informed the Israel government of its concern regarding the use of live ammunition and deplores the loss of life.”
In Brussels, Foreign Minister Leo Tindemans communicated his government’s “deep uneasiness” over the situation in the territories at a meeting Tuesday night with the Israeli ambassador to Belgium, Avi Primor.
Tindemans, who summoned the Israeli envoy to the Foreign Ministry, urged Israel to refrain “from doing anything that might harm its image” in the international community. He stressed that the Israeli security forces should not use firearms to contain demonstrations and called on Israel to observe the Geneva Convention with respect to the protection for civilian populations.
Primor, who only recently began work in Brussels, asked the European community to adopt a “more balanced” position if it wants to exert any political influence in the Middle East. He was referring to the pressure brought to bear on Israel by the 12-member states of the European Economic Community since the disturbances began in the territories more than two weeks ago.
In Geneva, the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation issued separate statements appealing to the Israeli government to make every effort to end oppressive measures and restore calm through reconciliation.
The World Council of Churches, an umbrella organization of Protestant denominations, addressed its statement to Israeli Premier Yitzhak Shamir. “As we have received shocking reports of the widespread violence that has produced the killing and injuring of scores of Palestinians in Gaza, the WCC expresses its deep concern about the violent events actually taking place there,” the statement said.
It called on Israel to eschew the use of force and to “immediately undertake all necessary and effective measures for the cessation of violent actions against the civilian population of Gaza” and urged Israel to initiate political negotiations aimed at protecting the inhabitants of the occupied territories and “preventing continuing cycle of violence.”
(Contributing to this report were Yossi Lempkowitz in Brussels, Tamar Levy in Geneva and Michael Solomon in Montreal.)
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