UN General Assembly calls Israel to withdraw its threats to Arafat

The UN General Assembly has adopted the Arab draft resolution calling for Israel's withdrawal of its threat to expel or harm the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

The voting came as 133 in the interest of the resolution, 4 opposed and 15 absentee. The UN General Assembly resolution called on Israel not to implement a plan providing for getting rid off Arafat. Resolutions taken by the UN General Assembly are not considered legally obligatory.

The Arab group, and the group of the Non- Aligned countries, members at the UN which toll 191 countries were called to act after the US vetoed a similar resolution at the UN Security Council.

News reports at the UN in New York said that the European position became united after it had an agreement with the Arab states group and the non- aligned bloc to introduce amendments on the resolution including condemnation of the Fedayeen operations and the call to dismantle the infrastructure of what is called terrorism, regret over the continued Israeli escalations and the assassination operations.

With the inauguration of UN General Assembly sessions earlier, Palestine representative at the UN Nasser al-Qidwa criticized the Israeli threat to expel the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. He called on the international community to ensure protection for the President who was elected by the Palestinian people.

In a speech before the emergency session of the UN general assembly to discuss the Arab plan on Israel's decision to expel Arafat, al-Qidawa called for trying the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and members of his government as war criminals. He condemned the US vetoes for the 26th time against UN drafted resolutions condemning the Israeli government.

However, the UN General Assembly emergency session was held yesterday to discuss the Israeli threats to expel the Palestinian President after Sudan, on behalf of the Arab League asked the UN General Assembly to consider a resolution asking Israel to give up its threat "to expel Arafat."