The US Department of State has issued an official condemnation of the takeover of the Orient House and other PA institutions, and Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressings his concern over the “political escalation.” Powell noted that in the past, Israel had turned a blind eye to the Palestinian Authority’s political activities in the Jerusalem building. The Russian Federation also condemned the Israeli actions in Jerusalem and Abu Dis. In an ABC interview, US President George W. Bush sufficed with a general statement that both Israel and the PA were not doing enough to end the fighting and return to the negotiating table.
Herut Chairman MK Michael Kleiner says that Israel should have seized the opportunity to hit harder: \"We would have earned a similar measure of condemnation for a considerably more effective move such as conquering the PA and expelling Arafat.\"
Herut Chairman MK Michael Kleiner says that Israel should have seized the opportunity to hit harder: \"We would have earned a similar measure of condemnation for a considerably more effective move such as conquering the PA and expelling Arafat.\"