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World Condemnation of Israeli Threats on Arafat's Life
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Only rubble remains, yet the U.S. just calls on Israel to be cautious
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CAIRO, September 20 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – World reactions, condemning Israeli tough military clamp-down on the Palestinians, as well as besieging and destroying Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's headquarters, varied Friday, September 20, 2002, from protest to "mild rebuke" by the United States.
In Moscow, Russia protested Friday the Israeli army's blockade of Arafat's West Bank headquarters, calling such a step counter-productive.
"As practice shows, isolating the Palestinian leadership and blockading the Palestinian people does not avert the threat of terrorism," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russia, a co-sponsor of the stalled Middle East peace process, again urged both sides against resorting to violence and "emotional provocations."
Israel's blockade "seriously hampers the Palestinian administration's ability to fight against terrorism, and complicates the already-dramatic situation on the Palestinian territories," the Ministry said.
In Brussels, the European Union (EU) said Friday it was "deeply concerned" about Israel's latest clamp-down on the occupied territories.
"Force cannot defeat force," the Danish presidency of the European Union said in a statement which described a new Israeli army siege of Arafat's headquarters as "counter-productive", reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"The European Union is deeply concerned by the deployment of Israeli tanks in Ramallah and in the north of the Gaza strip," the statement said.
In Paris, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday that the latest Israeli operation against the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was "counter-productive".
"Restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Palestinian authorities seriously hamper the reforms they agreed to with the backing of the international community," said spokesman Francois Rivasseau. "Such reforms should be encouraged and not hindered", he added.
Rivasseau said that Israeli and Palestinian representatives in Paris and Jerusalem were informed of the French position.
In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned Friday that Israel's latest offensive will lead to "revenge actions" from the Palestinians, the official news agency MENA reported.
Mubarak made the remarks to Arafat, who called him to brief him on the "dangerous situation created by the Israeli invasion of the cities of the West Bank and Gaza."
"President Mubarak warned against the consequences of (Israeli) military operations as they would lead to more revenge actions and destroy all the chances of reaching a settlement that could contain the dangerous situation," MENA said.
Mubarak has been making since Thursday, September 19, "intensive contacts and efforts" on the regional level related to the escalation.
And in a very mild rebuke, the White House urged Israel Friday to "bear in mind" the impact of its siege of Arafat.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer also denied that turmoil in the Middle East may undermine U.S. President George W. Bush's efforts to confront Iraq, saying: "The two are not related."
"Israel has a right to defend itself and to deal with security," Fleischer told reporters a day after the operation began.
"But Israel also needs to bear in mind the consequences of action and Israel's stake in the development of reforms in the Palestinian institutions based on its progress," said Fleischer.
Israel's siege on Arafat in the ruins of his compound in Ramallah and the decision to isolate him completely are the latest steps in a drive by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's to dump the Palestinian leader that is beginning to bear fruit, analysts said Friday, AFP reported.
"He is being cut off (from the world) once again and he cannot function in these circumstances," said Ali Jerbawi, who teaches Political Science at Bir Zeit University, near Ramallah.
Jerbawi told AFP "the Israeli pressure is the most important and the most dangerous".
Israeli political analyst Gerald Steingberg, for his part, reckons Sharon's strategy "to try to isolate Arafat, but also not to make him a martyr or a hero ... has been very successful."
"It will be for a longer period and will be more complete," Steinberg told AFP.
"Last time, Arafat was humiliated when he had to give up some of his associates who are now in jail in Jericho. And this time Arafat will be forced to give up more people and it will be a greater humiliation."
The Israeli government already hinted that the siege could be a long one by demanding the surrender of some 20 senior Palestinian officials on its wanted list who are holed up in Arafat's quarters, the last building still standing in the devastated compound.
"It's a continuation ... of a strategy approach which views the entire Palestinian Authority headed by Arafat as the head of the terrorist organization," Steinberg explained.
Israel tries hard to dub the legal Palestinian resistance to its occupation as "terrorism".
This strategy of gradually undermining Arafat's position started in December 2001.
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