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Feb. 23, 2004
Arafat: Fence prevents PA state; Rage day declared
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat urged Palestinians on Monday to "make their voices heard" against Israel’s separation barrier, as the world court was holding a first day of hearings on the legality of the partition.
"The wall that Israel is constructing is meant to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital," Arafat said.
An hour before the opening of the hearings at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, the Palestinian leader said, "We announce today to the whole world: The apartheid wall turns our towns into jails, our people to prisoners."
Calling on Israelis to join the international objection to the fence, Arafat warned, "the ’settlement wall’ will not bring security nor peace to the region,"
Arafat also accused Israel of preventing Palestinians — Muslim and Christians — from visiting their respective holy sites."Jerusalem is being separated from us, the holy city were Christ lived and died, where the prophet Mohammad ascended to heaven for his famous night journey.
"Hebron as well is being separated by the wall, so we cannot reach the holy Abraham mosque," Arafat added.
Arafat spoke of the international objection to the security fence, mentioning Pope John Paul II condemnation of the fence. "This is not the way to achieve true peace between Palestinians and Israelis," he concluded.
In his speech, broadcast from his West Bank headquarters, Arafat urged his people to "make their voices heard against this wall of expansion and annexation."
PA declares day of "rage"
The Palestinian Authority has declared Monday a day of "rage and protest" against the security fence, calling on Palestinians to stage rallies and demonstrations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.
PA Chairman Yasser Arafat is to deliver a speech timed to coincide with the opening of the International Court of Justice hearing in The Hague. After the speech, sirens will be sounded, church bells will ring, and all traffic will come to a standstill for five minutes to be followed by a one-hour general strike.
Arafat and the PA leadership were visibly embarrassed by Sunday’s suicide attack in Jerusalem, which took place on the eve of the court hearing. PA officials said the timing of the bombing was extremely harmful to the interests of the Palestinians and could weaken their argument against the security fence.
The embarrassment was exacerbated by the fact that the attack was claimed by Fatah’s armed wing, the Aksa Martyrs Brigades. Arafat chaired an urgent meeting of the PA National Security Council to discuss the repercussions of the attack.
The council strongly condemned the attack, saying it has ordered the PA security forces to pursue the perpetrators of "this dangerous operation and to bring them to trial as quickly as possible.‘ The council also decided to place all the PA security forces in the West Bank on high alert ’to confront all those who seek to harm the higher national interests of the Palestinian people."
Over the past few months, however, the council has taken similar decisions in the past few months, but no serious effort has been made to enforce law and order and put an end to the state of anarchy in Palestinian cities and villages.
"The PA views with full seriousness this deliberate operation on the eve of the court hearing in The Hague and amid this international campaign in support of Palestinian rights,‘ said a statement issued by Arafat’s office. ’The PA leadership, which cannot remain idle in the face of this deliberate sabotaging of Palestinian interests, calls for an immediate cease-fire."
PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei issued a statement stressing that the interests of the Palestinians necessitate an end to such attacks, "which give Israel an excuse to continue with the construction of the expansionist and annexationist fence and assassinations."
Qurei said he was especially angered by the timing and location of the suicide attack. "This is an attempt to disrupt the huge mission in The Hague," he said.
"The timing and location of this attack are a mistake and we are absolutely against targeting civilians."
A PA official in Ramallah described as "disastrous‘ the fact that Fatah, the largest PLO faction headed by Arafat, was behind Sunday’s terrorist attack. ’The attack is an indication that some of our brothers in Fatah are working against the interests of our people,‘ he said. ’Those behind the attack want to embarrass President Arafat and the entire Palestinian leadership at a crucial moment."
In Jenin, scores of Fatah gunmen took to the streets upon hearing about the Jerusalem bombing, firing shots into the air in an expression of joy. Chanting slogans in praise of the suicide bomber, the gunmen and some merchants distributed sweets to passersby.
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Iran News
