Israel Dismisses UN Resolution

Author: 
Nazir Majally, Asharq Al-Awsat
Publication Date: 
Sun, 2003-09-21 03:00

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 21 September 2003 — Israel dismissed a UN resolution demanding it retract threats to remove Yasser Arafat while the Palestinian leader hailed the vote yesterday, calling it an important sign of support for the Palestinians. The overwhelming vote in the UN General Assembly on Friday — 133 nations endorsed the measure — came as the incoming Palestinian prime minister stridently defended Arafat, saying he is key to peace efforts and the United States should treat him as a real partner.

Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qorei’s criticism of US policy was the strongest sign yet he does not plan to challenge Arafat, who Israel and the United States, which opposed the UN resolution, tried to circumvent by pressing for the creation of the post of prime minister.

Instead, Arafat appears to have maintained a central role, handpicking Qorei after the resignation of the first prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and moving to shape a Cabinet of loyalists from his Fatah party.

Regardless, Bush said Thursday that Arafat “had failed as a leader” and accused him of forcing out Abbas, who resigned Sept. 6 after wrangling with Arafat for months.

Qorei called Bush’s statement “regrettable” and said it “does not serve the peace process.” “Arafat is the elected leader of the Palestinian people and represents the will of these people,” Qorei said on Friday. “President Arafat is a real partner.”

Arafat also responded Friday. “You have to know we are the authority of the Palestinians that has been recognized by all the Palestinians,” he told ABC News. Bush “has to remember that President Clinton was dealing with me, his father was dealing with me. And he was in the beginning dealing with me.”

Arafat’s popularity soared after Israel’s decision on Sept. 11 to “remove” him at an unspecified time. Israeli officials have suggested he may be exiled, killed or simply isolated at his shattered compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Meanwhile on the ground, Israeli troops pulled out of the center of Jenin early yesterday, after a two-day sweep in the northern West Bank city, Palestinian security sources said. Later two teenagers were wounded, one of them seriously, in separate incidents pitting Israeli troops against young stone-throwers in two refugee camps.

In the southern West Bank city of Hebron, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in support of Arafat, an almost daily event in the territories since Israel’s Cabinet decided on the expulsion. In a boost for the Palestinians, the Group of Seven (G-7) most industrialized nations meeting in Dubai urged increased financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The G-7 praised the reforms of Finance Minister Salam Fayyad and promised a boosted package. US Treasury Secretary John Snow even pledged budgetary support to the PA. Fayyad requested $1.2 billion in aid for 2004, of which $500 million would be for the budget and the rest for humanitarian aid and development projects.

Main category: 
Old Categories: