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Arafat refugee climbdown stuns Palestinians
In what appears to be a significant departure from the erstwhile Palestinian position, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Yasir Arafat has voiced his willingness to recognise Israel as a âJewish state.â The remarks were made in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Haâaretz on Friday. According to the paper, Arafat said he âdefinitelyâ understood that Israel ought to âpreserve her Jewish characterâ and that he personally recognised âIsraelâs Jewish identity.â Furthermore, the Palestinian leader told the paper that the PLO had dropped an Arab summit resolution, calling for a just solution of the Palestinian refugee problem based on UN General Assembly Resolution 194. The Israeli media featured Arafatâs statements prominently, viewing them as a âsignificant changeâ of position on the plight of the refugees, considered one of the most insurmountable issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The PA had always refused to or refrained from recognising Israel as a Jewish state for two reasons:First, the PA leadership thought that lending such a recognition would seriously militate against the interests and future of Israelâs 1.2 million strong Palestinian community, which makes up one-fifth of Israelâs population.
Second, the PA understood all along that recognising Israel as a Jewish state would, in the final analysis, imply that the Palestinians were giving up on the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees who were expelled from their homes when Israel was created in 1948. That right is embodied in UN resolution 149 which stipulates repatriation and restitution for the refugees. PA officials contacted by Aljazeera.net refused to comment on Arafatâs remarks, saying they did not think that Arafat meant what the Israeli newspaper quoted him as having said.
| "We think he's off his meds. Luckily, nobody ever listens to him..." |
One PA minister, who asked that his identity remain anonymous, pointed out that Arafat âdoesnât necessarily mean every word he says.â
| "I mean, he's a congenital liar, isn't he? Y'said so yerselves!" |
âThe president says a lot of things he doesnât mean. But in case he meant what he allegedly said, then it is a serious matter.â
| "Maybe it is time he headed off for the nursing home..." |
Another PA official said âwe donât take everything said or published by the Israeli press for granted.â Palestinian political leaders strongly denounced the idea of recognising Israel as a Jewish state. Ziad Abu Amr, professor of political science and former PA minister called Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state âthe most stupid thing the Palestinians could do. The Palestinian people and the world at large are under no obligation to recognise the Jewish identity of Israel. Israel is a nation-state and has no extra rights and privileges.â Abu Amr argued that recognising Israel as a Jewish state would amount to agreeing, at least tacitly, that one-fifth of Israelâs population would have to accept an inferior status. âWho can tell the non-Jewish population of Israel that they must settle for an inherently inferior status vis-Ã -vis Jews and agree that they have lesser rights as citizens on no account other than being non-Jews.â
Posted by: Fred 2004-06-18 |
