Arafat II
Arafat II
The belligerent statements from Abu Mazen are coming fast and furious. The latest statement, and one that even Sharon will find difficult to swallow, is reported by AP as follows:
Mahmoud Abbas, the leading candidate in next week's presidential election, on Monday promised Palestinian refugees they'll be able to return home one day - his most explicit comment yet on an explosive issue that has derailed peace talks in the past.
He's still far too moderate for the militant group Hamas, however, which demanded that he apologize for requesting a halt to rocket attacks against Israel.
Addressing a rally in Gaza City, Abbas said Palestinian refugees and their descendants from the two-year war that followed Israel's creation in 1948 have the right to return to their original homes.
"We will never forget the rights of the refugees, and we will never forget their suffering. They will eventually gain their rights, and the day will come when the refugees return home," Abbas told the cheering crowd.
...
Yariv Oppenheimer, spokesman for Peace Now, a group that favors an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza, said Israel should not judge Abbas after every campaign statement.
However, Oppenheimer said Israel could not accept millions of Palestinians, even in a peace deal. "The return of refugees is obviously a red line for the government of Israel," he said.
It is important to note that even a spokesman for the Quisling gang, "Peace Now" understands the point about the Arab "refugees". Which makes me wonder, if the Quisling gang were in power, with whom would they negotiate? The same question applies to Sharon too, of course. Whether one is dealing with Arafat I or Arafat II, we are back to Jabotinsky's solution as the only one:
an iron wall.
Posted by Joseph Alexander Norland at January 4, 2005 07:03 AM
Arafat II
The belligerent statements from Abu Mazen are coming fast and furious. The latest statement, and one that even Sharon will find difficult to swallow, is reported by AP as follows:
Posted by Joseph Alexander Norland at January 4, 2005 07:03 AM