WASHINGTON: Muslims in the United States chafe at the American government's hands-off approach to Israeli reprisals and worry about countless relatives and friends trapped by violence in Lebanon.

US officials say Israel "has the right to defend itself," since its incursion into Gaza three weeks ago and air raids on Lebanon, but President George W. Bush's stance offends Americans who are Muslims or of Arab descent.

Early last week, a coalition of 11 major Muslim organizations publicly called on Bush to forcefully condemn the attacks on Gaza and to designate as "war crimes" the destruction of Palestinian civilian infrastructure.

After the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, the appeals for denouncing Israel have multiplied.

"Once again America's image and interests worldwide are being harmed by one-sided support for Israeli actions," said CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the US Muslim rights group.