Dmitry Litvinovich: Arafat’s fate is in Hamas arms

This Monday, Palestinian extremist organization Hamas declared it would continue its operations against Israel till the Israeli regime stops its occupation. This was reported by Lebanese radio referring to Hamas official’s statement. According to RIA ‘Novost’, the extremist organization made this statement after Palestinian national administration’s head, Yassir Arafat called his countrymen to stopping all armed actions against Israel. According to a Hamas official, his organization will not drift before the attacks and wait till its good behaviour is evaluated. This was Hamas’s reaction to Arafat’s speech: the Palestinian leader appeared in TV, addressing to dwellers of Palestinian territories, in cennexion with ending of Ramadan holy month. Arafat demanded from his countrymen to immediately stop all armed actions against Israel and to refuse from terrorist acts forever, especially from that with suicide terrorists. Any violation of this administration’s decision will, according to Arafat, seriously punished. He also noticed that all citizens of the autonomy should support actions of the national administration. Arafat mentioned the emergency situation declared on the territory of the autonomy. “We are intending to keep armistice, so we have declared militants to be out of the law. Israelis do not want to take it into consideration,” – Arafat said and promised to arrest everybody who prepares attacks with suicide terrorists. Arafat is a political long-liver in the Middle East, thought now he has a kind of dilemma. If extremist groups, like Hamas, do not stop their terrorist actions, Israel will understand Arafat does not control the situation, therefore Palestinians will be forced to give up their dream about independent state. Arafat understands that his political life and probably his physical life, too directly depend on the independent state Palestinians could have. Not in vain, he stressed the idea of the independent state in his TV speech. He said that Palestinian Liberation Organization and Palestinian national administration would fight for building an independent Palestinian state with the capital in Jerusalem.” Therefore, while there is a small hope for the Palestinian independent state, Arafat is supported by most of Palestinians. Though Arafat understands that all the questions of Middle-Eastern settlement are solved somewhere else. His called Israel to again seat up at the negotiations table are really addressed to Western community with hope it would calm down Sharon. Though now, the policy of half measures Arafat has been carrying out does not work. Israel dreaming about annihilation of all radical extremist organizations decided to go to the very end. Sharon is backed by alarmed Israelis demanding not only to annihilate terrorists, but to finish with Palestinian national administration as well. And Sharon cannot neglect it. While Arafat’s words are only words, he earlier also used to say. Already many times, Arafat demanded from Palestinian militants to stop violation, though more and more victims still appeared. “We are ready to help Arafat. Though he must either stop the terrorists, or prepare himself for he getting into bin Laden’s company,” – Ranaan Gissin said. According to him, Israelis will not carry out any negotiations till the violation is not stopped. So, what will Yassir Arafat do further? To show to the whole world his words are supported with deeds, he must immediately arrest all Hamas leaders. Though, does he possess enough political will for it? Especially taking into account that Hamas has many times threatened with declaring Arafat Palestinian people’s enemy, sold himself to the US. A difficult choice lies before Arafat. He could lose everything in one moment.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/17/34881.html