Asians call on Israel to halt deadly Gaza raids

December 29, 2008 | By admin |

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Governments across Asia called for an immediate halt to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that have killed nearly 300 Palestinians, with some accusing the country of crimes against humanity.

Israel has vowed to press ahead with the campaign despite enraged protests across the Arab world and some Asian countries, saying the goal is to protect its citizens from Hamas rocket fire.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attacks and appealed for the cessation of hostilities, saying they violated the U.N. Charter, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“Violence aggravates conflicts and never solves them,” Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, expressing fears Israel’s incursions would undermine attempts to negotiate a Middle East peace.

In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, nearly 1,000 students waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Israel is the real terrorist” at the Hotel Indonesian traffic circle in downtown Jakarta.

“The Western countries are the concubines of America and the Jews,” said rally coordinator Ferry Putra as the crowd chanted “Free Palestine, destroy Israel.”

The Indonesian government, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, pledged $1 million in cash and $200,000 in medical supplies for the victims of the bombings.

The vast majority of Muslims in Indonesia practice a moderate form of the faith. Although most back the creation of a Palestinian state, they do not support violence against Israel.

China, which traditionally supports the Palestinian cause but has been building stronger political and military ties with Israel, said it was shocked by the attack and called for it to end.

The Mideast peace process must continue, Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said in a statement, calling for the adoption of “realistic measures to ease the tension.”

Government and opposition leaders of mainly Muslim Malaysia denounced the raids on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as a crime against humanity with Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri saying they were “tantamount to genocide.”

Malaysia, a staunch supporter of a Palestinian state that also does not have formal political ties with Israel, said “there is no excuse for the disproportionate, indiscriminate and excessive use of force in Gaza.”

India “urges an immediate end to the use of force against Palestinian civilians,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. “India hopes that ongoing efforts within the region to restore peace would be supported.”

South Korea said Monday it was “seriously concerned” about the worsening security condition in Gaza and asked both Israel and Hamas to stop using military power and initiate dialogue. - AP