Arafat: Palestinians stick to peace despite pessimism
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 1/16/2002

The Palestinian Authority is committed to peace as strategic option despite the pessimistic atmosphere on the possibility of resuming the peaceful march under the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, said Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

Arafat, in an interview with Al-Ahram, stated that he would not allow any Palestinian faction to violate the ceasefire declared by the PNA. Yet, Arafat, at the same time, warned that the Palestinian patience is running out, adding that his commitment to achieve peace, does not in any way mean ending the Intifada.

In an answer to a query on the arms' ship story, Arafat said it was no more than a play fabricated by Israel to divert attention away from its atrocious military aggression against the Palestinian people.

He elaborated that it is now evident that Israel does not want peace nor an independent Palestinian state to co-exist side by side together with the Israeli state.

Israel only seeks pretexts to cover its brutal practices against palestinian citizens, said Arafat. "I wonder and ask the world to think it over; how would a vessel loaded with 80 tons of arms reach the 47 km long coast of Gaza most of which monitored and firmly guarded by Israeli troops ?" he noted.

Again, the Palestinian leader firmly denied any military relation between PNA and Iran. "We are not at all in need of purchasing any weapons of any kind from Iran," he stressed.

As for the claimed ship-captain, Arafat said he had left the Palestinian navy since 1999, and he currently lives abroad with his family. "Why didn't Israel wait until the vessel come to Gaza to prove its credibility ?" he asked. Arafat categorically denied any relation between PNA and that alleged vessel-issue.

Nevertheless, the Palestinian leader said he kicked off an accurate investigation into the matter and urged US envoy, A. Zinni, as well as the EU commissioner, J. Solana, and the Russian delegate to perform their own investigations.

Arafat added that he has nothing to fear or to hide concerning that story. "On the contrary, we want to uncover that flagrant lie behind which Israel tries to keep on demolishing civilian houses that amounted to date to 81 buildings, displacing 123 Palestinian families, he said.

Asked how long would Palestinians keep self-restraint towards Israeli nasty practices, Arafat answered that he calls on the world community to intervene, especially that 167 countries support creating an independent Palestinian state, as has recently been voted in the UN General Assembly. That came directly in the face of three Vetoes by US against dispatching UN observers to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Asked if he expected resumption of the peace process under Sharon's rule, Arafat said that he was not optimistic. He added that greater international efforts are badly required so as to halt Israeli aggression and reactivate the peace march.

Arafat went on to affirm that, despite the siege imposed on him, he keeps constant contacts with Arab leaders, saying he would never forget President Mubarak's statements and ongoing warnings against the Israeli continued escalating assaults and how serious the prospective consequences are on the entire region.

Finally, Arafat said that he sends his whole-hearted greetings to the Egyptian people led by the brave leader Mubarak. He hailed the Egyptian sacrifices for the Palestinian cause saying: "There is no site in Palestine without a grave for an Egyptian martyr !"

Previous Stories:
  Demolition of Palestinian homes, an act of collective punishment, Amnesty International says   (1/15/2002)
  One senior Fatah official assassinated by the Israeli forces   (1/15/2002)
  Further deterioration in the occupied Arab territories   (1/14/2002)

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