IN AN angry response to two days of violence in the West Bank and Gaza, Arab League delegates meeting in Cairo placed the blame for the worsening situation firmly on Israel's shoulders and warned that the peace process was in danger of total collapse.
"Netanyahu and the Israeli government speak about peace while practising a state of war. The situation is very dangerous," said the Palestinian Authority delegate, Mr Mohammed Sobeih, who referred to Palestinian victims of the latest violence as "saluted martyrs of this new and blessed intifada".
He warned that unless the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, fulfilled the terms of the peace accords Israel signed with the Palestinians, the violence would worsen. Mr Netanyahu must abide by the letter and the spirit of all signed agreements and guarantees to Palestinians . . . Otherwise [he] will not succeed and will drag Israel into a whirlpool of violence and extremism."
Delegates of the 22 member states also called on the UN Security Council to halt what it called Israel's "aggression" against the Palestinians in the self rule areas.
The chairman of the Arab League, Mr Esmat Abdel Meguid, said he would attend the UN General Assembly on Monday and "highlight the elements dangerous to the peace process and present the findings of yesterday's session.
"The peace process is in more danger than you can imagine because of Israel's action, which is completely unacceptable," he said. "We want to establish peace but Israeli actions are torpedoing the peace process, and the Israeli prime minister is to blame."
The emergency session of the league opened with a minute of silence in memory of Palestinians killed in the violence.
Since Mr Netanyahu assumed power in June, Arab leaders have been warning that his hardline policies and lack of progress in the process would lead to violence, and this week's events appear to have borne out their predictions.
In emotional language, Mr Muhammed Sobeih urged them to carry out the threat they made at the Arab summit in June to freeze relations with Israel if Mr Netanyahu failed to implement the peace accords. "We call on you to use all means available to punish Israel so that it halts its abhorrent aggressive practices and for the bloodshed to stop," he said.
He also said that as the chief sponsor of the Middle east peace process, the US had a "judicial, moral and political responsibility" to intervene in the crisis.
Reuter reports from Doha:
King Hussein of Jordan said that Israel must be stopped from continuing work on the tunnel and an international committee should be set up to deal with the issue.