Global reactions to Israel's assassination of the Hamas leader Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantisi were predictably unfavourable. Gamal Nkrumah reviews official reactions "Unlawful" and "unjustified" were the two words most commonly used to describe the assassination by Israel of Hamas leader Abdul-Aziz Al-Rantisi. The condemnation was unanimous. Even nations normally considered friendly towards Israel expressed outrage and shock. Some of the harshest criticisms of Israel's actions came from its staunchest supporters in Europe. The European Union as a whole expressed indignation, and warned of dire consequences. "The EU has consistently condemned extra-judicial killings. Israel has a right to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, but actions of this type are not only unlawful, they are not conducive to lowering tension," warned EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Javier Solana. Extra-judicial killings are in direct contravention of international law. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer spoke on behalf of the EU stressing that "Germany and the EU have always refused such actions". Fischer stressed the illegality of extra-judicial killings. "I consider that such means should not be used," he said. Condemnations from Britain, perhaps the closest ally of the United States, were scathing and forthright. Both the British government and opposition figures expressed their outrage and dismay. "The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so- called 'targetted assassinations' of this kind are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive," concluded British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. "The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so-called targetted assassinations of the kind are unlawful, unjustified and counter-productive." The response of British opposition parties was voiced equally strongly. Voices condemning the Israeli assassination of the Hamas leader came from right across the British political spectrum. "Coming after the Bush endorsement of the Sharon plan, this assassination, which is illegal under international law, will confirm in the minds of the Palestinians and many in the Middle East that Israel has carte blanche," warned Menzies Campbell, the foreign affairs spokesman of the Liberal Democratic Party. "How can anyone expect moderate Palestinians to raise their heads above the parapet in these circumstances when opinion in their communities will be so outraged?" he asked. Italy, which is widely seen as a staunch supporter of Israel and a key US ally, spoke out against the assassination. "Italy, like the whole of the EU, has always condemned the practice of targetted assassinations, which contributes to [escalating] the spiral of hatred and violence," warned Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. The Swedish reaction was equally blunt. Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson pronounced the assassination to be "against law and disgusting". Even countries that ordinarily toe the American line, such as Australia, spoke out strongly against the assassination. "At the end of the day it's unwise to be successively assassinating the leaders of Hamas. It's likely to inflame the situation," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. Sweden's Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds concurred, calling it an "illegitimate act". Russia's response was slightly more muted. "Moscow is very worried about the consequences, and the rise in tensions in the Middle East," said Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko. The non-Western world's reaction to Al-Rantisi's assassination was equally scathing. Major Asian nations such as China, India and Japan all agreed that the assassination of the Hamas leader was an unacceptable provocation which is bound to have detrimental consequences on the Middle East peace process and to heighten tensions in the region. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement condemned the assassination and called for restraint. "China's stance on the Middle East is consistent. We advocate resolving the dispute through dialogue and talks," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi described Al- Rantisi's assassination as a "thoughtless and unjustifiable act". She added that it "gravely impairs the realisation of peace, and is profoundly regrettable". The Japanese foreign minister warned that Al-Rantisi's assassination "would only lead to the further expansion of the chain of hatred and violence, thus making more difficult the realisation of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but also impact the entire region negatively". India's official response was as categorical. "The targetted killing of Hamas leader Al-Rantisi is unjustified and unacceptable and cannot be condoned under any circumstances. Such actions can only lead to further destabilisation of the already fragile situation in the region and result in further escalation of the cycle of violence and counter-violence. We believe that the need of the hour is restraint to enable peace negotiations to restart," read an Indian Foreign Ministry statement.
