Israel’s position still not clear

Israeli involvement in a possible US war on Iraq remained an open question on Thursday following talks between US President George W. Bush a...

Israeli involvement in a possible US war on Iraq remained an open question on Thursday following talks between US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

No clear picture emerged after a 45-minute Oval Office meeting on Wednesday as to whether Israel would strike back if Iraq attacked it with missiles in retaliation for a US military offensive to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. ‘‘If attacked, Israel will know how to defend itself,’’ a senior Israeli official said without elaborating.

Bush added to the confusion by appearing to back Israel’s right to self-defence in any scenario. ‘‘If Iraq attacks Israel tomorrow, I would assume the Prime Minister would respond because he’s got a desire to defend himself,’’ Bush said.

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The Palestinians expressed disappointment at the meeting, saying Bush did not press Israel to withdraw from re-occupied territories. ‘‘We were expecting President Bush to ask Sharon to implement UN Security Council resolution 1435 calling for an Israeli withdrawal from re-occupied Palestinian territories,’’ said Nabil Abu Rudeina, top aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Resolution 1435, adopted last month during an Israeli siege of Arafat’s headquarters, demanded a prompt withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Palestinian cities and a return to positions held before the Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000.

Meanwhile, Israeli tank shelling killed six Palestinians and wounded 50 others in a Gaza Strip refugee camp on Thursday after gunmen fired at Israeli Army bulldozers, sources said.

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