Al Khaleej: Morocco says Israel's decision to expel Arafat is unacceptable
Morocco-Palestine, Politics, 9/15/2003

Morocco deemed Saturday the Israeli decision to expel Palestinian president Yasser Arafat as "unacceptable." "It cannot contribute to the quest for a fair peace" in the Middle East, Moroccan communication minister and government spokesman, Nabil Benabdellah, told the UAE daily "Al Khaleej" in an interview published Saturday.

"The Palestinian people democratically chose to be represented by the Palestinian leader Abu Amar. Hence, neither Israel nor any other power can question this choice," the minister said.

The Moroccan minister added that president Arafat "represents the unity of the Palestinian people and any decision to exile him will only ignite the fire of Palestinians' struggle to recover their legitimate rights," expressing hope to see the Israeli government reconsider its decision.

For his part, Larbi Messari, member of the executive committee of the Istiqlal party (PI), opined that the government of Ariel Sharon "wants to prove that it has power, that it has the right to impose its conditions and that the world has to obey and submit" to its desires.

Messari told "Al Khaleej" paper that "any act against president Yasser Arafat, who is democratically elected (.) will stir up the anger of Palestinians, Arabs and Moslems." On the same issue, deputy-chairman of the Moroccan Association of Support to the Palestinian Struggle, Abdellah Bakkali, said the decision of the Israeli government "is in line with the terrorist and criminal tendency of Washington-backed Sharon's policy." "Arafat should not be the one to shoulder responsibility,it should rather be the Arabs, their paralytic league and their Organization of Islamic Conference," he deplored, saying any act against the Palestinian president will "certainly" make Palestinians' unify their ranks behind their president who is the "symbol of the Palestinian State."

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan Jews community always served as bridge between Palestinians, Israelis, community leader   (9/8/2003)
  Israeli FM arrives in morocco   (9/2/2003)
  Palestinian premier in Morocco   (7/29/2003)

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