PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has called on the United Nations to convene a special meeting to oppose the latest Israel atrocities against Palestine.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in denouncing the Zionist regime's massive land, sea and air offensive on Gaza said the international forum must serve as a stage for "voices of the world who are against the attacks" to be heard and for a "Uniting for Peace" resolution to be adopted.

He said Malaysia, which was the past chair of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and of the Non-Aligned Movement, was rallying the support of the two bodies to push for the convening of the meeting.

Abdullah said Malaysia's permanent representative to the UN, Datuk Hamidon Ali, had been instructed to initiate discussions with contact groups of the OIC and NAM.

"Countries of the world must gather and firmly express themselves and demand a resolution of the issue," he said, when addressing the monthly assembly of the Prime Minister's Department here yesterday.
Abdullah said only through the special general assembly could the UN negate any improper action of the United States, a supporter of the Zionist regime which was responsible for killing more than 500 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

He hoped that the US and its allies would not attempt to block efforts to convene the special general assembly.

Abdullah also took the US to task for failing to be a responsible major power when it had the capacity to stop the atrocities.

"The US should be using its influence to call for a ceasefire but had not bothered to do so and instead stood behind Israel's hidden agenda to wipe out Palestine," Abdullah said, slamming the US for blocking the UN Security Council's resolution which called for an end to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. This, Abdullah said, was something the world could not accept or respect.

Israel, he said, was meting out a systematic form of collective punishment on Gaza without any consideration for innocent people or the destruction of their property.

These actions, he added were totally immoral and in clear violation of international law and should be condemned by all people of conscience.