Sharon Determined to Remove Arafat,
Even if it Means Hurting Him

RAVI NESSMAN / AP 26sep03

JERUSALEM—Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he is determined to "remove" Yasser Arafat, even at the risk of harming the Palestinian leader, a newspaper reported Friday.

Palestinian leaders said Sharon was undermining peace efforts and his statement was a clear sign Israel was planning to kill Arafat.

Also Friday, the Israeli military tightened a Palestinian travel ban in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because of the two-day Jewish New Year holiday that began Friday evening.

All Palestinians were banned from entering Israel, in an attempt to prevent possible attacks by militants. In most of the West Bank, Palestinians were barred from leaving their communities.

The fate of Arafat, who is holed up in his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, was thrown into question earlier this month, when Israel's security Cabinet called for his removal.

In an interview with the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, Sharon said Israel is determined to "remove" Arafat one day. He said the security Cabinet's decision canceled his personal promise to President Bush—made several years ago—not to harm the Palestinian leader physically.

Other top Israeli officials have said the term "removal" could mean both expulsion and assassination, but Sharon's remarks seemed to suggest the first choice is to oust Arafat.

Sharon said American concerns would be taken into account. "But I repeat and emphasize: the fundamental decision to remove Arafat has been adopted by Israel," Sharon said.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Sharon's comments proved Israel was trying to kill Arafat and was not committed to implementing the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, which envisions the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005.

"It's no longer a matter of whether they will kill President Arafat, it's a matter of when," he said.

Israeli forces on Friday stopped about 1,000 people coming from Bethlehem to visit Arafat at his headquarters.

"The world should wake up to stop this brutality," Arafat said.

Meanwhile, incoming Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, said he has concluded consultations on his new Cabinet and will present it to parliament for approval within the coming days.

Leaders of the ruling Fatah party will meet Saturday to discuss and approve the new ministers, Palestinian officials said. At least two—Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath and Finance Minister Salam Fayad—will keep their jobs, the officials said.

Qureia has given Fatah, and thereby Arafat, considerable say in putting together the Cabinet. Qureia has said that, unlike predecessor Mahmoud Abbas, he won't challenge Arafat.

Israel has said it would not deal with an Arafat-controlled Cabinet. However, Sharon has not ruled out doing business with Qureia, whom he has met repeatedly.

Sharon told Yediot that Qureia was a cunning politician, saying he would judge him on his deeds, not his words. Israel wants the Palestinians to dismantle Palestinian militant groups, as required by the road map, but Qureia has suggested he won't use force against the militants.

Sharon told Israel radio Friday he supported the principle of a cease-fire with the Palestinians, but did not want to leave Israel vulnerable to continuing attacks.

"Israel will not allow the murder of Jews, Israel will continue to act against the terrorists," he said.

In his interview with Yediot, Sharon also indicated that prisoners held in Europe could be part of a German-brokered prisoner swap between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

Israeli newspapers reported Friday that several Iranian and Lebanese prisoners held in Britain and Germany might be traded for information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad, who Israel says is held by Iran.

Britain is holding Hade Soleimanpour, 47, whom Argentina accuses of conspiracy to murder in the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, in which 85 people died.

According to the Israeli daily Maariv, England has agreed to cooperate with Israel and has sent a message to Iran saying that it would consider releasing the former diplomat in exchange for information on Arad, the navigator shot down over Lebanon in 1986.

The Haaretz daily said Germany is willing to release two Lebanese and an Iranian in a prisoner swap. Haaretz said the three are held in Germany for the murder of an Iranian Kurdish dissident and three of his associates in a Berlin restaurant in September 1992.

As part of the emerging deal, Israel would free several hundred Arab prisoners, many of them Palestinians, in exchange for Israeli businessman Elhanan Tannenbaum and the bodies of three soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2000.

Also Friday, Izzat Abu Sweireh, 68, died in Gaza of injuries suffered last week when his son, Jihan, a Hamas member, was killed by Israel. In the West Bank, Ibrahim Khalil Abu Alrob, 21, also died from wounds sustained last week during violence.

Curriculum Vita
President Yasser Arafat

Born: Yasser Arafat was born in Jerusalem-Palestine in 1929.  
Education: Engineering degree from King Fuad University, Cairo-Egypt. 
1956: Joined the reserve officers of the Egyptian Army and fought against the tri-partite 
	aggression on Egypt. 
1953- 1968: Joined early in his youth, the Palestine National Movement as represented by 
	the League of Palestinian Students 1944, and chaired it later on.       
1968: Formed “Fatah” movement together with other brothers in the fifties and was declared
	its spokesman 
1973: Commander in Chief of the forces of the Palestinian Revolution. 
1974: Addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. 
Achievements and Peace awards: - 
1979: Joliet Curie Gold Medal-World Peace Council. 
1981: Honorary Ph.D. from Jamaat Islamiya in Haidar Abad, India. 
1982: Led the heroic battle against the invasion of Lebanon and the battle of steadfastness 
	during the siege of Beirut by the Israeli forces. 
Nov.1984 &  April 1987: Re-elected Chairman of the Executive Committee of the 
	Palestine Liberation Organization by the 17th, 18th and the 19th sessions of the 
	Palestine National Council 
13 Sept. 1988: Addressed the Socialist Group of the European Parliament 
15 Nov. 1988: Announced the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of an independent
	Palestinian State. 
13 Dec. 1988: Addressed the UNGA, which convened in Geneva to hear him because the then US Secretary 
	of State denied Chairman Arafat an entry Visa to the US to address the UNGA in New York. 
	Addressed the Security Council in Geneva on February & May 1990 for the same reason. 
13-14 Dec. 1989: Launched the Palestinian peace initiative for establishing peace in the Middle East. 
	Following that, on 14 Dec. 1988, the US Administration led by President Reagan decided to
	open a substantial dialogue with the PLO in Tunis. 
30 March 1989: Chosen President of the State of Palestine by Central Council of the PLO and elected
	as such by the Palestine National Council directly on 15 Nov. 1988.
13 Sep. 1993: Launched and directed the policy of “Peace of the Braves” that culminated in the signing
	of the Palestinian Israeli Declaration of Principles at the White House, Washington. 
12 Oct. 1993: Elected  by the Central Council of the PLO to be the President of the Palestinian National
	Authority (PNA). 
31 Oct. 1993: President of Palestine Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR). 
July 1994: Awarded Felix Houphouet Boigny peace prize. 
Oct. 1994: Received Laureate Nobel Peace Prize.   
Nov. 1994: Awarded Prince of Sturias Prize.    
28 Sep. 1995:  Signed Oslo agreement with the late Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Rabin, and witnessed by
	the U.S.A. and Russia. 
20 Jan. 1996: Elected as President of the PNA in general election.   
23 Oct. 1998:  He signed “Wye River” memorandum with the former Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netenyahu. 
31 Aug. 1999: Awarded an Honorary Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Masstricht University of Holland. 

President Arafat is Vice–Chairman of NAM and the permanent Vice-Chairman of the
	Organization of Islamic Conference.

source: http://www.p-p-o.com/Eng/defultE.htm 28sep03