Holocaust Museum to deny Arafat a visit
Palestine-Regional, International, 1/19/1998

"A historical chance has been wasted for Jews worldwide to have the leader of the Palestinian people recognize the injustice that had befallen the Jews in Nazi Germany," said Dr. Ahmad Tibi, special advisor to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat after he heard of the decision of the Washington Holocaust Museum to deny Arafat a visit to the museum later this week, by denying him security measures normally afforded to other world leaders.

President Arafat could have been the first Arab leader to visit the Washington Holocaust Museum when he arrives in Washington for his summit meeting with President Bill Clinton. Even late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, who was the first Arab leader to visit Tel Aviv, recognize Israel and sign a peace treaty with Israel, has never visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, though he did visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in West Jerusalem.

The fact that his visit was rejected by the museum's board of directors may have boomeranged with the double impact the decision caused.

On one hand, President Arafat has proved his willingness to visit the museum and identify with the Jewish victims of the Holocaust and score a historical point against Zionist propaganda that has been trying to defame the Palestine struggle.

On the other, Arafat will have nothing to lose as his critics may have found a golden opportunity for them to condemn his visit to the Holocaust museum, at least as long as Israel does not express any sort of apology for atrocities carried out against the Palestinians over the past five decades.

It was US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross who suggested in his latest trip to the region that Arafat visit the museum. Ross, a member of the board of directors, extended an official visit to Arafat and urged him to accept the invitation.

Palestinian observers said President Clinton had seemingly hoped for this move from Arafat believing it would help both promote the status of Palestine in the eyes of US public opinion and would back up the US president in his struggle against Congress and the Zionist lobby which have so far failed to side with the US Administration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

Previous Stories:
  Abu Mazen warns of talks' failure   (1/17/1998)
  Shaath: catastrophe is ahead of us   (1/16/1998)
  In Washington, no lunch for Netanyahu   (1/16/1998)

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