Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., March 23, 2008 Adar2 17, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:31 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 14:12 02/03/2008 Saudi Arabia compares IDF Gaza operation to Nazi war crimes By Reuters Tags: Israel, Gaza, Saudi Arabia  U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Sunday compared the Israel Defense Forces' operation against Gaza rocket squads to Nazi war crimes, and called on the international community to stop what it called the "mass killings" of Palestinians. More than 60 Palestinians and two IDF soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the bloodiest day of Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the start of the second intifada in 2000. The operation was launched after Gaza militants fired a rocket that killed an Israeli in Sderot on Wednesday. Advertisement "Saudi Arabia, which condemns the Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people and the threats of Israeli officials to transform Gaza into an inferno, sees that Israel is simulating through these actions the Nazi war crimes," the Saudi official news agency SPA reported. "Therefore, Saudi Arabia urges the international community, peace-sponsoring countries and the international Quartet to work to curb the Israeli military machine and stop it from carrying out mass killings and destruction against the Palestinian people and their properties." The Saudi statement appeared to refer to Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai's threat on Friday of a "shoah," the Hebrew word for holocaust or disaster, in response to the incessant rocket fire. The word is generally used to refer to the Nazi Holocaust, but a spokesman for Vilnai said the deputy defense minister used the word in the sense of "disaster," saying "he did not mean to make any allusion to the genocide." Hamas, an Islamic group which seized Gaza after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, made use of the comment to assert that IDF activity against the rocket attacks was a "real holocaust." "Saudi Arabia watches with utmost concern what is happening in Gaza; the killing of children, women and elderly, the destruction of houses over their owners' heads, the intimidation at the hands of Israel's military machine," SPA said. "The kingdom strongly condemns these actions that go against international law and humanitarian norms ... and contradict what Israel says about its desire for peace." Saudi Arabia, a major Arab power broker which attended a U.S.-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis in November, renewed calls for a comprehensive Middle East peace deal. Related articles: 3 Gazans killed, Israeli hurt in ongoing violence Olmert: Israel won't halt Gaza operations even for a second EU joins UN in slamming use of 'disproportionate' force in Gaza Bookmark to del.icio.us   Declassifying AIPAC Two former pro-Israel lobbyists charged with revealing secret info. to Israeli diplomats. Jersualem pilgrimage Christian pilgrims flock to Holy City to mark Good Friday and retrace the route of Jesus.   1.   I agree with Saudi Arabia 14:28  |  POP 02/03/08   2.   Saudi comparisons 14:35  |  the truth 02/03/08   3.   Nazis Hid Their Crimes - Saudis Behead in Public 14:45  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 02/03/08   4.   Saudi Arabia 14:45  |  John 02/03/08   5.   Stop Rokets first and than maybe 14:50  |  Daniel 02/03/08   6.   POP Will KNeel Under The Saudi Flag: A Sword & Shahada 14:51  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 02/03/08   7.   Saudi Arabia Compares IDF.....etc. 14:52  |  JordanisPalestine 02/03/08   8.   darfur - no relation 15:04  |  Dave Cohen 02/03/08   9.   WAR & MORRALITY NEVER MIX & PUT MORRALS FIRST YOU LOOSE THE WAR 15:09  |  Zionist forever 02/03/08   10.   The Wahhabhists-Chief Sponsor of Islamist-Jihadist Terrorisms 15:28  |  Brod 02/03/08   11.   GO STONE YOURSELVES SAUDI HYPOCRITES 15:29  |  jewish doctor 02/03/08   12.   Genocide 15:32  |  christa 02/03/08   13.   Yesteday there was silence, today outrage 16:20  |  Mark Lincoln 02/03/08   14.   oust fat kings from saudi a, give its oil to global poor 17:07  |  frenz 02/03/08   15.   biggest laugh of the year ? the human rights specialists ! 17:32  |  v hardman 02/03/08   16.   # 3 - Ovadiah ben Avraham - ""Beyond Good and Evil" 17:52  |  17 02/03/08   17.   to 13 Christa 17:53  |  Jozef, 02/03/08   18.   Saudi Arabia and Peace 18:13  |  Glenn 02/03/08   19.   Saudis silent about the cause of IDF Gaza operation 18:30  |  Don 02/03/08   20.   To Saudi Arabia 18:36  |  Yosemite 02/03/08   21.   Saudi Arabia fought with the Nazis during WWII. 18:45  |  r 02/03/08   22.   To #17 (Stalag) 17: Yawn, Another Apologist for Nietzsche 19:01  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 02/03/08   23.   history will tell 19:03  |  dennis 02/03/08   24.   Best ignored. 19:30  |  Charles Smyth 02/03/08   25.   Did saudies ever praised the Israeli withdrawal? 19:30  |  Abdul Aziz Hijazi 02/03/08   26.   IDF compared to NAZI `s 19:55  |  eli 02/03/08   27.   NAZI TYPE WAR CRIMES?? 20:21  |  Ian 02/03/08   28.   # 23 Ovadiah ben Avraham 20:28  |  17 02/03/08   29.   my memories 20:32  |  Asher Levi 02/03/08   30.   The Saudi`s are very right in their present ASSESSMENT 20:43  |  Abdul Karrim 02/03/08   31.   Palestinians and their Holocaust 20:44  |  Billy T 02/03/08   32.   #22 COME ON NOW!! 20:48  |  Ian 02/03/08   33.   to 1 20:59  |  LOUDER 02/03/08   34.   HEY IDIOT PALESTINIAN SUPPORTERS: TELL PALS TO STOP THE ROCKETS 21:08  |  Steve Randolph 02/03/08   35.   To 10 - Mary Ilitaracy beyong imagination...... 21:12  |  Dagma 02/03/08   36.   To 33 - Ian - And how wrong you can be...... 21:26  |  Dolly 02/03/08   37.   "HUMANIST" Saudis were all quiet when Pals were repeatedly warned 21:28  |  PETER SM 02/03/08   38.   What happens If ... 21:35  |  spyguy 02/03/08   39.   Saudi Arabia 21:42  |  Connie 02/03/08   40.   I do not agree with Saudi Arabia. It is worse. 21:43  |  American 02/03/08   41.   Israel works for Arab unity 21:52  |  Colin Wright 02/03/08   42.   One way street believers ... 22:08  |  Andreia 02/03/08   43.   The Same Saudis That Sent 19 of Their Finest to the US on 9-11? 22:09  |  Jane 02/03/08   44.   Saudi Arabia should be the last tiospeak 22:10  |  Dagma 02/03/08   45.   Saudi Arabia compares IDF operations to Nazi war crimes 22:11  |  martin list, m.d. 02/03/08   46.   To Steve 22:46  |  Harold 02/03/08   47.   even if isr obtains all of excanaan it`ll still be 23:15  |  bozhidar balkas 02/03/08   48.   Gaza 23:52  |  Uzi 02/03/08   49.   How many million Arabs 00:08  |  jackie 03/03/08   50.   Saudis speak, but do not act 00:48  |  Leo 03/03/08   51.   Connie #36 00:48  |  Brod 03/03/08   52.   Jane #39 00:51  |  Brod 03/03/08   53.   Jackie #44 00:53  |  Brod 03/03/08   54.   to No.10 00:54  |  Leo 03/03/08   55.   no.3 - Nazis hid their crimes, but the Zionists don`t 00:58  |  Leo 03/03/08   56.   Saudi Arabia is the pot calling the kettle black 18:46  |  Edward H 03/03/08   57.   Saudi Arabia compares IDF Gaza operation to Nazi war crimes 19:14  |  S. E. Bloom 03/03/08   58.   Hey Saudi Arabia, Shame On You! 23:00  |  Matt 03/03/08   59.   Shows diplomats and gov`ts will say anything 23:37  |  DJStahl 03/03/08

Today Online Bradley Burston: Macho U.S. Jews, pantywaist Israel Responses: 214 Jewish group seeks to purge YouTube of anti-Semitic videos Responses: 202 PM says worried Russian weapons will reach Hezbollah Responses: 110 Israel, Germany plan int'l summit to stop Iran nuke program Responses: 118 13-year-old boy wounded in terror attack near Hebron Responses: 106 Editorial: J'lem yeshiva massacre must not lead to boycott of Israeli Arabs Responses: 99 Rosner's Domain U.S. govt. to appeal ruling on classified material in AIPAC trial I've known my rabbi for more than 20 years... (WTR) Poll: Mideast summit in Moscow, a good idea? There's no need for American pressure on Israel Jewish connections in the NCAA (WTR) More Headlines 00:21 Hezbollah deputy chief says he has proof Israel killed Mughniyah 02:07 Saddam collected information on dozens of potential targets in Israel 00:14 Cheney in J'lem: U.S. will never pressure Israel to take security risks 01:08 Palestinian sources: No breakthrough in Hamas-Fatah reconciliation bid 19:20 2 Qassams hit Israel as Egypt hosts Hamas, Jihad for truce talks 12:45 Body of Palestinian pulled from collapsed Egypt-Gaza tunnel 12:23 Police arrest 2 youths suspected of stoning cars on Wadi Ara road 02:16 Defense DG says not impressed by anti-missile system 09:16 Ex-prof with alleged terror ties refuses to testify in U.S. court 06:56 Umm al-Fahm resident shot to death outside her home 01:57 U.S. gov't to appeal ruling on classified material in AIPAC trial 01:18 Bank of Israel report: One in four Israelis over the age of 65 is poor 01:55 EU parliament president says Olympics boycott should be considered Previous Editions