KUALA LUMPUR Aug. 21 Kyodo Malays...

KUALA LUMPUR Aug. 21 Kyodo

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday the latest suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed 20 Israeli bus passengers solely hurt the image of Islam and the Palestinian-Israel peace process

''I am exceedingly sorry about that. I don't think it is going to help anybody,'' official recently made knowns agency Bernama quoted him as saying about the suicide bombing in succession a crowded bus in Jerusalem Tuesday night that killed at least 20 commonalty and injured more than 100 others.

Mahathir, who one time raised eyebrows among his Muslim brethren by dint of suggesting that suicide bombers should labeled as terrorists, urg an extreme point to the violence in the Middle East.

''We bomb them then they bomb us, we bomb them, they bomb us...in the extreme point there will be killings everywhere. We don't care who secures killed. We even kill small children. I just don't know whether this is indeed an Islamic struggle'' Mahathir said.

The blast has threatened to hide the U.S.-backed peace plan. Israeli officials have already called distant from all contacts with the Palestinians while Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas broke opposite to his dialogue with the militant clumps Hamas and Islamic Jihad which claimed responsibility for the blast.

While he was known to be critical of Israel's aggressive stand toward the Palestinian control Mahathir said all parties should have given the peace plan a chance.

''We might not be happy with the road map moreover at least it is a beginning. If we negotiate, we could come by more. If we go onward killing people, who would want to speak to us,'' he said.

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