Minister Cowen Condemns Suicide Bomb Blast in Jerusalem
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, T.D., condemned yesterday's suicide bombing in Jerusalem which left twenty dead and up to eighty injured. He expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and his hope for a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Minister called for an immediate end to all violence and complete observance of the cease fire announced in June. Minister Cowen said, “Violence cannot advance the interests of either Israelis or Palestinians. These attacks are intended to derail hopes of peace and the possibility of progress through the Roadmap. This must not be allowed to happen.”
The Minister welcomed Mahmoud Abbas condemnation of the attack and called on the Palestinian leadership to take all steps within their power to eliminate the threat of terrorism. The Minister also called on the Israeli Government to exercise restraint in its response to this attack saying, “We have ample experience in this country of efforts to disrupt peace efforts through terrorism. No peace process can be allowed to be held hostage by terrorism and the politics of the last atrocity. I call on both parties to redouble their efforts to advance the Roadmap for Peace and produce tangible results.”
