31.  Meeting in Brussels, European Union foreign ministers argued against American calls for tougher military action and defended their diplomatic efforts.

32.  Other Arab leaders have suggested tougher action.

33.  Rather, they said, a combination of heavy, cold rains and tougher Israeli military actions has produced a jittery hiatus that almost certainly will be brief.

34.  Sharon has made it clear that he first wants to see tougher action by Arafat to restrain militant Palestinian groups like Hamas.

35.  Some hard-liners in Congress and the Bush administration want tougher action, including the arming of Iraqi opposition groups, in an attempt to overthrow Saddam.

36.  Tens of thousands of Israelis attended a demonstration in Jerusalem this week, calling for tougher action against the Palestinian National Authority, headed by Yasser Arafat.

37.  The Israelis are demanding tougher action by the Palestinians against terrorism and a resumption of security cooperation suspended by Arafat.

38.  The minister for infrastructure, Avigdor Lieberman, who vies with Sharansky for the Russian-immigrant vote, advocates even tougher military action.

39.  Trade officials, led by Commerce Secretary William Daley and the U.S. trade representative, Charlene Barshefsky, had urged tougher action.

40.  Tougher action by the authorities at an earlier point, several neighbors said, might have averted the death of the police officer.