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Israel accuses Iran, Syria of role in Tel Aviv bomb

Posted on: Friday, 20 January 2006, 09:55 CST

By Ori Lewis

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel accused Iran and Syria on Friday of planning and funding a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv that raised tensions ahead of next week's Palestinian election.

Thursday's bombing posed a major challenge to interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who assumed power after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's massive stroke on January 4, and could pressure him to retaliate against Palestinian militants.

Sharon aide Raanan Gissin told Reuters that Israel has "ample, concrete evidence" that the Tel Aviv bombing, claimed by the Islamic Jihad group, was bankrolled from Tehran and planned in Damascus. The bombing injured 30 people.

Gissin said he could not reveal the evidence. Israel has often made similar accusations, noting that Islamic Jihad has offices in Damascus.

Gissin's comments echoed similar accusations made earlier by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz to Israeli newspapers.

The Haaretz daily reported that Mofaz said that Israel had "decisive proof that the attack in Tel Aviv was a direct result of the Axis of Terror that operates between Iran and Syria."

Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Mofaz as saying that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, who is on a two-day visit to Syria, was holding a "terrorism summit" with his host, President Bashar al-Assad.

Mofaz was also quoted as saying that Iran had funded the attack while the operational orders to the suicide bomber, who came from the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, were issued at the Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus.

FEW DETAILS

Gissin sought to cast the Tel Aviv bombing as a warning to European powers weighing punitive measures against Tehran over its nuclear program.

The United States and the European Union want the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, where it could face possible sanctions.

"This attack was in Tel Aviv. Tomorrow it may be in Berlin or in Paris or in London -- countries that may vote against Iran on the issue its nuclear program," Gissin said.

Thursday's bombing by the Islamic Jihad, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, was the first in the Jewish state since an 11-month truce expired at the end of last year.

During his visit to Syria, Ahmadinejad pledged support to militant Palestinian factions at a meeting with their leaders on Friday, a Palestinian group said.

Gissin said Israel's proof of Iranian and Syrian involvement was presented to Washington and European powers. But when asked for details, Gissin said: "It would be wrong to elaborate or to specify exactly what, where the sources that we have."

The bombing, at a popular sandwich stand, was the first in Israel since Sharon's stroke.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the attack was aimed at sabotaging the January 25 parliamentary election.

Violence could complicate the poll in which the militant group Hamas is expected to make a strong showing against Abbas's Fatah movement.

The West suspects Iran of seeking nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic program. Tehran denies this.

Olmert declared earlier this week that Israel "cannot in any way or at any point" allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear bomb.

Source: REUTERS

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