(AFP) - Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday urged the United Nations to take firm action to curb the spiral of violence in the Middle East.

Mahathir, who is a firm supporter of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said tough action was necessary to end the aggression and retaliation in the West Bank, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The prime minister said he had proposed that a UN peacekeeping force be deployed to separate the Arabs and the Israelis.

Retaliatory actions

"If they are not separated, President Yasser Arafat cannot possibly put a stop to the aggressive actions of the Palestinians who have been extremely angered (over Israeli bombings of residential areas and other places)," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

"But the rash retaliatory actions by the Israelis were to the extent of attempting to kill President Arafat and the world remains silent as if the world allows such attempts planned by a certain regime."

He said that when Israeli soldiers killed Palestinians using sophisticated weapons this was accepted by the world, but when the Palestinians reacted in revenge individually, without the permission of Arafat, it was regarded as terrorism and the leader was blamed.

Asked about a Malaysian proposal to host a conference on terrorism next year, Mahathir said it was aimed at seeking a definition for terrorists.

"If we were to say that only Muslims are terrorists, I feel it will be difficult for Islamic countries to participate in measures to merely hunt down the Muslim terrorists," he said.

"We know that others are also terrorists ... we should hunt down all terrorists irrespective of race, irrespective of religion."

Osama video

On the failure so far of US and anti-Taliban forces to capture prime terror suspect Osama bin Laden, Mahathir, who has roundly condemned the attacks on the US, repeated his objection to retaliatory bombing in Afghanistan.

"Even though the Taliban have been crushed, strikes will still have to carry on. Strikes are not the way. A more thoroughly planned action to target the terrorists must be carried out, not launching bombs at random at all places," he said.

The official news agency made no mention of any reaction by Mahathir to the release of a video tape which the US says proves bin Laden's guilt, suggesting that the outspoken leader was not asked for a comment.

The hardline opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) said it doubted the authenticity of the tape.

"Is this the real proof?" asked PAS secretary-general Nasarudin Isa.

"I am very sceptical of this evidence because it is produced by the United States. With the latest technology, it could be forged. Why did it take so long to produce the video?"

Nasarudin said the video was "not proof beyond reasonable doubt" and that in any case, Washington had attacked Afghanistan before it acquired the tape.