By IOL Correspondent, Kazi Mahmood

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 (IslamOnline) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he was saddened by the United Nations decision to cancel a fact-finding mission to the Jenin refugee camp, Bernama reported on Saturday.  
 
"I am saddened over the withdrawal of the UN as announced by (Secretary-General) Kofi Annan," he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur. 

Annan on Thursday announced that he was disbanding the mission after Israel refused to allow the team to come in. 

Mahathir charged, "If one country like Israel can defy the whole world, then what is the use of the UN." 

Mahathir said Malaysia's stance was that there should be a UN presence in Palestine, regardless of Yasser Arafat’s release from his headquarters.  

Apart from that Malaysia hoped Palestinians would not be harassed and those previously living in Israel could return to their homes, the aging Malaysian premier said.  

When Israel was founded in 1948, some 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their land and became refugees in Arab countries.  

Mahathir called for the demolition of the illegally constructed settlements in areas under Palestinian control and the people from these settlements should return to Israel, he added.

The Prime Minister said legal action could be taken against Israel if there was enforcement through the strength of countries which supported the UN. 

"If the strongest country which supported the UN does not want to take action, indirectly Israel has power over that country," he said, obviously hitting at the U.S. for its support to Israel.

Mahathir also called for reinforced unity among Muslim nations saying it was important for Islamic countries to arrive at a consensus to resolve the Palestine-Israel conflict. 

"As long as they are disunited they cannot use the strength which they have to counter Israel's arrogance," he said.  

He said even though Islamic countries held meetings on this issue not all attended. He lambasted some Muslim countries that acts against the interest of the Islamic block. 

"If we come up with an effective action, there are other Islamic countries which ensured that it failed," he said.  

Mahathir confirmed that the Palestinian issue will be on his agenda when he meets with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington during his three-day official visit from May 13.