Palestinians warn harming Arafat would lead the region to the edge of the abyss

RAMALLAH, September 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Few hours after Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said he will form a "normal" rather than "emergency" government, the Israeli security cabinet decided Thursday, September 11, to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

In an emergency meeting under Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon, the Israeli security cabinet agreed by majority to outline a plan to carry out the expulsion, al-Jazeera correspondent said.

Sharon, his Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom were among those advocating the decision, he added.

The Israeli premier was expected to oversee discussions focusing on the prospects of a large-scale ground operation against Hamas in Gaza as well as expelling Arafat.

Israeli troops Thursday occupied the seventh-floor of the Palestinian culture ministry building in the West Bank city of Ramallah, just 300 yards from Arafat's offices.

Before the meeting, Shalom said a majority of his colleagues now backed Arafat's expulsion, despite opposition from the United States.

"If there is a vote in the cabinet, there will be a majority, but I'm not sure it will be put to the vote," he told public radio.

"Security officials who in the past were opposed to this measure are now in favor. Everyone now supports it," Shalom said, referring to both security and political considerations over expelling Arafat.

Hardliners in Sharon's ruling coalition have long called for the veteran leader to be expelled from the Palestinian territories.

In a quick response, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said the decision was tantamount to a "declaration of war against the Palestinians, and a brazen aggression against a democratically-elected government."

In January 1996, Arafat was elected in a landslide victory for the presidency. Results of the ballots gave the Palestinian leader 88.1 percent to challenger Samiha Khalil's 9.3 percent, with the remainder of ballots ruled invalid.

Israeli soldiers occupy a building close to Arafat's compound

Asked if the Israeli government seriously considers expelling Arafat after six earlier similar threats were restrained by the United States and Europe, Shaath stressed that "everything is possible from Sharon’s government".

Ahmed Abdel Rahman, an aide to the veteran leader, also warned: "An attempt to harm President Arafat would lead the region to the edge of the abyss."

Arafat's senior advisor, Nabil Abu Rudeina, said that an Israeli attempt to expel the Palestinian leader would deal a major blow to the peace process.

"It will result in big damage to the peace process and international efforts," he told AFP.

"We are asking the international community, especially the United States, to stop these Israeli threats against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership ... if the international community wishes for security, peace and quiet in this area."

"Monumental Error"

"I think, and I believe the E.U. also considers that it would be a serious mistake to try to eliminate him (Arafat) from the political arena," Chirac said

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, now visiting Italy, cautioned that Arafat's expulsion "would be a monumental error".

Arafat still had the support of the Palestinian people and sidelining him would deprive them of "a great deal of negotiating experience", Mubarak said after talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, current president of the European Union.

Echoing similar position, French President Jacques Chirac said it would be a serious mistake to sideline Arafat in the Middle East peace process.

"Yasser Arafat is the legitimate authority" of the Palestinian Authority, Chirac told a news conference after a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

"I think, and I believe the European Union also considers that it would be a serious mistake to try to eliminate him from the political arena," he asserted.

The U.S. has warned the Sharon government off moves to expel the 74-year-old resistance symbol, while the E.U. has also made clear that it would vigorously oppose such an action against the legitimate and democratically-elected leader of the Palestinian people.

Cabinet Discussions

On the Palestinian front, Qorei said discussions were continuing among senior officials Thursday over the formation of his new cabinet.

"We are still studying and I will continue my efforts to form the new cabinet as soon as possible," he told reporters.

He gave no indication when the make-up of the cabinet was likely to be agreed or its final size.

The current speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council was locked in meetings Thursday morning with members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee and the central committee of the mainstream Fatah movement.

Qorei said "a lot of ideas" had been floated but no firm decision on the government had yet been made.

Press reports said earlier in the day that Qorei would rather form an eight-men emergency government.

Security Council

Also Thursday, Palestinian leaders agreed to set up a council to oversee the security services that will include Arafat and Qorei, an aide to Arafat told reporters.

"This council will hold a meeting immediately to reach guarantees that all the (security) branches work together in unity," Nabil Abu Rudeina told reporters after meetings of the PLO executive committee and Fatah central committee.

Apart from Arafat and Qorei, the ministers of finance, interior and a member of the PLO executive committee as well as Arafat's national security advisor would sit on the Supreme National Security Council, whose formation had been widely expected.