TEL AVIV, Oct 7: Buoyed by White House support for what it called Israel’s right to defend itself, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on Tuesday the Jewish state was ready to hit its enemies anywhere following an air raid deep in Syria.

Speaking at a memorial service marking the anniversary of the 1973 Middle East war, Ariel Sharon took a tough line but made no specific threats against any country or group.

“Israel will not be deterred from defending its citizens and will hit its enemies any place and in any way,” Mr Sharon said. “At the same time we will not miss any opening and opportunity to reach an agreement with our neighbours and peace.”

Syrian President Bashar al Assad, breaking his silence on Sunday’s attack near Damascus, accused Israel of trying to drag Syria and the rest of the Middle East into a wider conflict. Syria said Israeli warplanes had hit a civilian site in the raid.

It was Israel’s deepest air raid in Syria in three decades and followed a Palestinian suicide bombing that killed 19 people in a restaurant in the Israeli port city of Haifa a day earlier.

Yasser Arafat, facing fresh Israeli threats to “remove” him after the Haifa blast, claimed by the Islamic Jihad group, swore in an emergency eight-member cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie, who has close ties to the Palestinian president.

The Israeli premier’s adviser, Raanan Gissin, said Israel would judge the new cabinet by its actions but added: “In all likelihood, if it is established by Arafat it will not fight terror.”

Israel accuses Syria of giving safe haven to Palestinian militants spearheading a three-year-old uprising for statehood and US President George Bush insisted on Monday that Israel should not feel constrained in defending itself.

But Mr Bush said he had urged Ariel Sharon to avoid an escalation of violence.

After Mr Sharon spoke on Tuesday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: “We’ve always said Israel has a right to defend itself, but they should always take into account the consequences of any actions they may take.”—Reuters