The reaction of most of the international community to Israel\'s offensive shows that it has quickly forgotten what led Israel to take this step: Over 45 murdered in terrorist attacks over the four days of the Passover holiday, 12 dead in the six days before that, and close to 120 in the month of March. Many countries, such as Japan, China, Jordan, and the EU, demanded that Israel withdraw from the PA-controlled areas immediately. The UN Security Council demanded an Israeli withdrawal, although it left out the word \"immediately.\" Only the U.S. showed sympathy with Israel\'s plight; President Bush said,

\"I can understand Israel\'s need to defend itself. This is a country under attack; every day, suicide bombers kill innocent citizens...\" Bush said, however, that Israel should leave open a path to peace, and \"keep in mind that there must be a peaceful solution at some point.\"