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Knut Rognes
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In yet
another development, Palestinian President Arafat has issued
orders for
the assassination of all Israeli leaders of “terrorist”
organizations,
including Shas, the Mifdal, the Likud, and the Hagana
militias of Chairman Barak’s own Labor party. In a moving speech before the
inner (security)
cabinet, President Arafat vehemently declared
zero-tolerance for the
“revolving door policy” of chairman Barak. “We
have repeatedly told
him to arrest them and keep them in prison. By
releasing them, Chairman
Barak is giving a green light to terrorism
against the Palestinian people.
Our cities will be targets for
despicable and vicious attacks by Jewish fundamentalists who are opposed to
the peace process. If Barak is to live
up to his commitment to peace,
he must prove that he can safeguard the
security of all Palestinian
citizens anywhere in Palestine and the territories.”
In a related
move, the PDF Coordinator has issued orders canceling
all the passes and
privileges granted members of the Israeli
Authority. Previously, the
“VIP status” granted such Israeli
individuals afforded them freedom of
movement among Israeli towns and
cities without being stopped and searched
at Palestinian army
checkpoints—a routine measure for all Israelis
allowed to move within
the territories. “We had issued around 200 of
these VIP passes,” the
Coordinator stated. “Instead of being grateful,
members of the
Israeli Authority are not living up to their
commitments—they are not
controlling the people or reigning in the
Israeli rioters.” Once they
stop the violence, the Coordinator promised,
they would regain their
privileges.
When asked
about the missile that killed a Labor militia leader and
two middle-aged
Israeli women who had been in the street in front of
their homes,
President Arafat praised the “precision” of the attack
and described
it as a “surgical strike.” “It was a necessary and
successful operation,” he boasted. These terrorists must learn that they
will not
be safe anywhere.” In the meantime, opposition leader,
Sheikh Ahmad
Yassin, called on President Arafat to arrest and deport
all Israeli
leaders and added that Colonel Amram of the Israeli
Preventive Security
must himself be assassinated on suspicion of
involvement in the latest
attacks on the PDF. President Arafat
refused to comment, saying it is
enough to “take out” the Israeli
activist leadership. “We shall
study the situation and take further
measures as necessary,” he added,” thereby keeping the door open for
further bargaining with Hamas
in the looming parliamentary crisis in
Palestine.
Aware of the
implications of this latest political crisis in
Palestine, and in a bid to
help President Arafat overcome the
challenge of his rival, Yassin, US
President Clinton gave an
interview to Palestine television praising President Arafat for his
“flexibility and generosity” in the Camp
David talks and laying the
blame for their failure squarely on Chairman
Barak.
“Arafat
went further than any other Palestinian leader” in offering
the Israelis
functional responsibility and personal jurisdiction in
the Israeli part of
Jerusalem. “He also expressed willingness to
allow Barak to raise the
Israeli flag on the Holy Synagogue,” Clinton
added. Describing the issue
as “largely symbolic,” Clinton asserted
that “symbolic solutions”
could be found. As for Palestinian
settlements in Israeli territory, these
could be grouped into
settlement blocs and annexed to Palestine. UN resolution 242 does not mean
the inadmissibility of acquisition of
territory by war, he explained.
Some territory may be annexed to
Palestine, for Palestinian settlers
must be able to live under Palestinian sovereignty--at least 80% of them.
As for the Jewish refugees who had left
more than 50 years ago, they
can be “generously compensated” and
relocated elsewhere. Clinton
concurred with the Palestinian view that the Muslim-Christian character of
Palestine must be maintained, and that the
Israelis must be
“realistic” in their demands. “Chairman Barak must
go further in
meeting President Arafat’s flexibility,” he added.
Pledging to
continue American foreign assistance to Palestine,
Clinton promised to
raise the US$ 3 billion granted to Palestine
annually, while allocating a
further US$ 800 million to maintain
Palestine’s strategic military superiority in the region and to fund
Palestinian withdrawal from some of
the Israeli territories. “We
share more than funds and military
secrets,” Clinton declared. The
Muslim-Christian tradition and ethos
supply us with “values of
democracy and human rights and we are proud to
call Palestine (the
only democracy in the region) our special ally.”
In a
reciprocal move, President Arafat promised that he would call on
the
Muslim and Palestinian-American business community to be even
more
generous with their campaign funds and votes in the upcoming
American election.
While in the
US, President Arafat called on Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright and
thanked her for her identification with
Palestinian suffering. “I
appreciate all your efforts on behalf of
peace and democracy,” she responded. Later in the day, Albright went on
national American television
admonishing the Israelis for their
“violence” and explaining how
Palestine is “under siege” by the
Israelis, particularly “those
stone throwers.” She further promised
to veto any draft UN resolution
aiming to censure Palestine for its
policies and measures in the Israeli
territories.
On his way
back to Jerusalem, President Arafat made a brief stop at
the UN to meet
with Secretary General Kofi Anan. Mr. Anan asked for a
role in the peace
process, promising to maintain “neutrality” and not
to be identified with any Israeli if Palestine and the US would allow him
to join the
membership of the peace club. President Arafat promised
to think about it.
President
Arafat’s last stop was in Europe to meet with the EU
presidency. They
made the same request. He gave them the same reply.
In the
meantime, violence continues in the territories and many
Israelis find
themselves caught in the crossfire.
President
Arafat remains committed to peace despite his grave
disappointment with
Chairman Barak’s inability to control his people
or to appreciate the
“generous offer” presented at Camp David. “I
will leave no stone
unturned in my search for peace,” he declared. In
an unprecedented move,
he openly avowed to recognize an “Israeli
state” on 50% of Israeli
territory, provided he can immediately annex
the Palestinian settlement
clusters and maintain security control
over the borders of the demilitarized Israeli entity. Jerusalem will remain
under “full
Palestinian sovereignty,” Arafat affirmed, adding that he
will entertain
giving the Israelis responsibility over a Jewish holy
site.
Whether that
will be enough to “clinch a deal” and to save Arafat’s
political
career remains to be seen. President Clinton’s peace team
sounded upbeat
in their assessment of the chances for resuming talks.
On a family visit
during Id Al-Fitr Holiday, Dennis Ross made a point
of holding talks with
both leaders. “It is up to Chairman Barak now
to reciprocate the good
will gestures of President Arafat,” he
declared. “The ball is in his
court.”
In
Washington, President Clinton declared himself satisfied with the
progress
made so far. “We can clinch this by January 20, 2001,” he
announced
(in a veiled reference to his end-of-term date). “President
Arafat has a
political career to save; I have a historical legacy to
make; and Chairman
Barak must show proper appreciation of this
unprecedented opportunity.”
In the
Occupied Israeli Territories, the uprising leadership issued a
leaflet
denouncing the resumption of talks while Jews were being
“massacred”
daily at the hands of the Palestine Defense Forces.
Next
Tuesday, however, and despite Israeli extremist statements,
Palestinian
and Israeli teams will dutifully head to Washington for
“exploratory”
talks. The interpreter to the US special envoy to
Middle East Peace Process declared himself “satisfied.” The Israelis will
easily
“swap” the Jewish refugees right of return for responsibility
over the
Holy Synagogue. For good measure, “we’ll throw in the Jewish
Quarter
and a neighborhood or two,” he added in an optimistic tone.
“Chairman
Barak must show real leadership,” a senior state department
official
said on condition of anonymity. “He must recalibrate,” he
added.
“The Israelis never miss an opportunity to miss an
opportunity. They
cannot afford to miss this one.” Another official
promised to strengthen
Barak’s security forces to quell any protests
among the Israelis in the
face of rising anger. “This comes out of
our commitment to peace and
democracy,” she said anonymously.
“Palestine deserves peace and security at all costs.” Should the Israelis
prove difficult, then they
are not worthy of democracy and must be
made to comply. “It’s the
least we can do,” she added. “We can help
Chairman Barak reactivate
and expand his [military] State Security
Courts (as promised by Vice President Gore), and we will increase our
participation in the Security
Committees while upgrading the
Anti-Incitement Committee. After all, the
security of Palestine is at
stake, and Palestine is no ordinary ally.” What more could the Israelis
hope for?
The horror!
The horror!
Source:
by courtesy & © 2000 MIFTAH
by the same author:
Hadeel's Song (Poem)
Anatomy
of Racism
Letter
to President Clinton
The
Barak Government's "White Paper"
Barak's
Political Exports: Used Goods to Arafat & A Snub to Clinton
Barak's
Resignation and the Palestinian Dimension
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