Bin Laden marks Israel anniversary with combat vow

By Lin Noueihed

DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden vowed in an audio tape timed to coincide with Israel's 60th anniversary to continue to fight the Jewish state and its allies in the West.

Bin Laden has placed growing emphasis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent pronouncements.

He said it was at the heart of the Muslim battle with the West and an inspiration to the 19 bombers who carried out the attacks on U.S. cities on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We will continue, God permitting, the fight against the Israelis and their allies ... and will not give up a single inch of Palestine as long as there is one true Muslim on earth," the leader of al Qaeda said in the latest message, posted on an Islamist website on Friday.

He said Israel's anniversary celebrations were a reminder that it did not exist 60 years ago, and had been established on land seized from Palestinians by force.

"This is evidence that Palestine is our land, and the Israelis are invaders and occupiers who should be fought," he said.

The Saudi-born militant noted that decades of peace initiatives had failed to establish a Palestinian state, and said the West sided with Israel.

"The participation of Western leaders with the Jews in this [anniversary] celebration confirms that the West backs this Jewish occupation of our land, and that they stand in the Israeli corner against us," he said. "They proved this in practice by sending their forces to southern Lebanon."