U.K. minister warns Israel of consequences of IDF assault



A British government minister called on Israel on Sunday to consider the political consequences of its military offensive in Lebanon.

Foreign Office minister Kim Howells, meeting Israeli officials in Haifa, said public recognition was needed of the scale of destruction in Lebanon.

His comments were a departure from the message of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has urged Israel only to be proportionate in its actions.

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Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush have so far declined to back a call for an immediate cease-fire made by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

"I very much hope that the Americans understand what's happening to Lebanon," Howells said, after visiting locations in Lebanon a day earlier.

"The destruction of the infrastructure, the death of so many children and so many people. These have not been surgical strikes."

Howells said that to secure continuing support from the international

community, Israel needed to demonstrate it is committed to in future living peacefully with Lebanon.

"What's going on won't be won simply by a military exercise, it has got to be a political victory as well. That means the forces of sanity have got to win out," he said.

"It's time the whole of the international community woke up to just what a threat this conflict is ... to all of us," he added.

In Britain, meanwhile, Zvi Heifetz, Israel's ambassador to Britain, addressed a pro-Israel rally at a school in north London.

He told the gathering of British Jews that recent meetings such as the G-8 summit in Russia had shown that Israel was not alone, and his country had the backing of the international community in its confrontation with Hezbollah.

"The leaders of the civilized world are not blind to the facts. Their message was clear - Hezbollah is responsible. And Israel has the right to defend its people," he said.

Elsewhere in London, a second protest took place to condemn the violence and denounce Blair's support for Israel's military action. The turnout was much smaller than the estimated 7,000 who joined a rally on Saturday.

Opposition politicians also called for Britain to distance itself from the stance of the United States and publicly call on Israeli authorities to show restraint.

"In some instances ... Israeli actions have been disproportionate. Our Foreign Office should not be afraid to say so," said William Hague, foreign affairs spokesman for the main opposition Conservatives.

"Our position in international affairs may often be linked to that of the

United States but it does not have to be identical to it."

Greek Orthodox Church warns Israel: 'Fear God's wrath'

The leader of Greece's Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, accused Israel on Sunday of "sacrificing innocent civilians" in its bombardment of Lebanon.

"Israel's actions within its right to self defense have long exceeded any rational limit," Christodoulos said on Sunday.

"[They are] sacrificing innocent civilians by the hundreds, and creating refugees by the thousands," he added, telling the Israeli authorities, "Do not provoke our consciences. Do not feed the world condemnation against you. It is not in your interest...Fear God's wrath."

The church has played a lead role in sheltering Greek evacuees from Lebanon who have no home or close relatives in Greece.

Greece's Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis also repeated her criticism of the Israeli attacks.

"The developments in the Middle East are the epitome of senselessness," Bakoyannis wrote in an article published in Sunday's Eleftherotypia newspaper.

"Children are being killed, families torn apart, towns are being destroyed and the infrastructure of a country razed," she wrote. "It's the civilian population that is being attacked in both countries - Lebanon and Israel."