ROSTOCK (Germany), July 13: US President George Bush blamed Hezbollah and Hamas on Thursday for escalating Middle East violence, but urged Israel not to respond in a way that undermines Lebanon’s fragile government.
“Israel has a right to defend herself,” Mr Bush said after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but “whatever Israel does should not weaken” the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.
“My biggest concern is whether or not actions taken will weaken the Siniora government,” he said. “Democracy in Lebanon is an important part of laying a foundation for peace in that region.”
Mr Bush and Ms Merkel, meeting in the Baltic city of Stralsund, accused Hezbollah of sparking some of the worst Middle East violence in 10 years by capturing Israeli soldiers and firing rockets at targets inside Israel.
“The attacks did not start from the Israeli side, but from Hezbollah’s side,” said Ms Merkel. “We call on the powers in the region to seek to bring about a de-escalation of the situation.”
The two leaders jointly warned Iran that they were taking the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme to the UN Security Council and urged the hardline government to freeze sensitive atomic activities as a precondition for talks.
The meeting came a day before Mr Bush was to head to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin and the Group of Eight summit of industrialised nations.
Mr Bush said that the rocket attacks and abductions of Israeli soldiers aimed to derail US-backed efforts to bring peace to the Middle East by creating an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel.
“It’s really sad where people are willing to take innocent life to stop that process. Matter of fact, it’s pathetic,” said Bush, who has refused to recognize the Palestinian government led by Hamas.
“Hezbollah doesn’t want there to be peace, the militant arm of Hamas doesn’t want there to be peace, and those of us who do want peace will continue to work together to encourage peace,” Bush said.
Mr Bush said that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in active telephone diplomacy to try to calm the situation, and added: “I’ll be making calls” as well.
The US president said the government of Syrian President Bashir al-Assad, a patron of Hezbollah, must pressure the Lebanese militia to free captured Israeli soldiers.
“Syria needs to be held to account” over a dramatic escalation of violence in the Middle East,” Mr Bush said after meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “President Assad needs to show some leadership towards peace.”
Mr Bush’s response was at odds with criticism from permanent UN Security Council members Russia and France, which branded Israel’s strikes ‘disproportionate’.—AFP
