Mideast - AFP
Israel "sickened" by Irish FM's comments after Rafah raid
Date: Thu, May 20, 2004
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel said it was "sickened" by comments from Ireland's foreign minister, whose country holds the rotating European Union (news - web sites) presidency, accusing the Jewish state of "reckless disregard for human life."
"Ireland's ambassador to Israel, Patrick Hennessy, was summoned to the foreign ministry for a meeting during which he was informed that Israel was sickened by the declarations" of Brian Cowen, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Cowen had said on Wednesday Israel's use of tanks and helicopters to disperse a protest in the southern Gaza Strip (news - web sites) town of Rafah, leading to the killing of 10 Palestinians, "was completely disproportionate to any threat faced by the Israeli military and that Israeli forces showed a reckless disregard for human life."
"We reject any attempt to link the regrettable events that occurred yesterday in Rafah with the horrible murder by Palestinian terrorists of (female Israeli settler) Tali Hatuel, who was nine months pregnant, and her four daughters," the statement said.
Hatuel, from the Gaza Strip settlement bloc of Gush Katif, and her children were killed by Palestinian gunmen on May 2 at the Kissufim crossing point between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel.
"We also reject any insinuation aimed at sullying our soldiers that hints they deliberately tried to kill children," the ministry added.
"We would have expected the presidency of the European Union to express the opinions of all of the countries it represents, and not to base its statements on false information and lies."
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