President Arafat renews determination to proclaim state this year
Palestine, Politics, 2/23/1999

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat renewed the Palestinians' determination to proclaim the Palestinian State in the course of the current year.

Arafat, who arrived in Casablanca this Tuesday morning to take part in the international colloquy on the "Future of Arab Jerusalem" convened February 23-25, told reporters he "was very happy to be in his second homeland, sisterly Morocco, and to meet H. M. King Hassan II that we consider as a faithful defender of our Arab and Islamic ummah (nation) and of the holy city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem)."

President Arafat voiced appreciation for the holding in Morocco of the colloquy on the future of Al-Quds "that we will proclaim capital of the State of Palestine this year," he said.

Arafat had repeatedly announced that the State of Palestine will be proclaimed on May 4,1999.

Head of the political department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Farouk Qaddoumi, who is also in Morocco to attend the international colloquy on the future of Arab Jerusalem, said the gathering should examine means of "liberating the holy city from the yoke of Zionism."

He told reporters upon arrival in Morocco Monday that the colloquy should also discuss means of safeguarding the Middle East peace process that is collapsing because of the attitude of Israel.

The colloquy, held under the aegis of King Hassan II, is sponsored by the Paris-based Arab-European Studies Center, which decided to devote its seventh colloquy to the issue of Al-Quds to counter the Israeli maneuvers meant to Judaize the holy city, distort its historical sites and alter its demographic characteristics, through the construction of new settlements and the expulsion of Arabs from their hometown.

The international colloquy, held a few months before the proclamation on May 4, 1999 of the Palestinian State with Al-Quds as its capital, aims at making pertinent proposals likely to help elaborate a plan on he future of the holy city, a document circulated by the Arab-European Studies Center said.

The gathering also seeks to reach the adequate decisions, far from the climate of tension kindled by Israeli exactions which aim at destroying the authentic heritage of the city and altering its Arab identity and at modifying its juridical and administrative situation.

Previous Stories:
  Moussa: We did not advise Arafat to delay the state's declaration   (2/22/1999)
  Albright discuss with Abu Mazen the implemention of Wye accord   (2/19/1999)
  Palestinian source: We are ready to change the date declaration of Palestinian state   (2/16/1999)

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