Oman concerned over U.S. tilt towards Israel

The Sultanate of Oman has expressed grave concern to the United States about its unfair and lop-sided approach in handling the tragic situation of homeless Palestinians and their leader Yasser Arafat following the "brutal military siege" imposed by Tel Aviv.

The sultanate's growing anguish was conveyed by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Undersecretary, to Robert Dry, U.S. Charge d'affaires.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of slogan-chanting citizens, Palestinians and members of other Arab communities took part in a candle-lit procession that culminated before the Palestinian embassy in Muscat. It was by far the noisiest protest during which protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners condemning Israel's endless brutalities.

According to an official statement,during the meeting, Sayyid Badr explained that the Sultanate, in the spirit of its friendship with the U.S., felt gravely concerned that the U.S. administration was applying two yardsticks in conducting the deepening crisis in the Middle East. "The U.S. administration did not subject Israeli actions to the same critical rigour as was applied to Palestinian actions."

Sayyid Badr questioned in particular the wisdom of the U.S. president's call to Arafat to make greater efforts to condemn terrorism, when in fact the Palestinian leader's own freedom to act was so "vividly circumscribed by Israeli acts of terror."

Sayyid Badr also brought into sharp focus the tragic and regrettable phenomenon of suicide bombers, saying it was the product of "a profound sense of hopelessness and a passionate resistance to injustices at the grassroots level towards Israel's illegal occupation."

He urged the U.S. to exercise its utmost influence as the peace brokers in the interest of both the Palestinian and Israeli people through a balanced public and candid acknowledgement of the ground realities.

'Furthermore, the sultanate reiterates the importance of peace as the only viable way forward for the region, through political solutions and on the basis of the UN resolutions and all relevant peace proposals, and most recently the Arab Peace Initiative which was adopted at the Beirut Summit", concluded the statement issued by the foreign ministry.