Arafat Addresses Speech on TV to Arab Summit in Beirut

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Arafat Addresses Speech on TV to Arab Summit in Beirut

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat delivered a televised speech to the Arab Summit being held in Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday because of Israel's travel ban on him.

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Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat delivered a televised speech to the Arab Summit being held in Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday because of Israel's travel ban on him.

At his headquarters in the West Bank city Ramallah, Arafat extended the Palestinian people's "warm welcome" to the Saudi peaceinitiative, saying he hopes it will be an Arab offer for peace between the Arabs and the Jews in the world.

The speech, however, was abruptly interrupted at the Beirut conference hall, because of what Lebanese officials later said "technical problems."

The Al-Jazeera TV, which carried Arafat's speech, said that the Palestinian delegation walked out of the summit following the interruption, apparently in protest against allowing Arafat to address his speech directly and live to the Arab leaders sitting atthe summit.

After the television broadcast resumed, Arafat explained reason for his absence from the summit meeting.

"I would like very much to be with you, but of course all of youknow the circumstances that prevented me from coming to the summit and from being with you," Arafat said, referring to the Israeli government decision for not allowing him to leave Ramallah for the summit.

Arafat has stayed at home in Ramallah in the West Bank after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to keep him in the townsince early December.

Chief of preventive security in the Gaza Strip Colonel Mohamed Dahlan said on Wednesday that Palestinian security officials advised Arafat not to leave Ramallah, because Sharon is intending not to let him return if he really travels to Beirut.

He said that Arafat's decision not to go and attend the summit was made about 48 hours before the summit was opened.

"Other major reasons that Arafat did not want to attend is that the Israeli government imposed impossible conditions, and wanted tochange the content and text of Tenet and Mitchell agreements," saidDahlan.

In the televised speech, Arafat also told the Arab leaders that despite the urgent need of the Palestinians for peace, the Israeli government "is practicing the most brutal and inhuman aggression onthe Palestinian people."

"I'm talking to you, as all of you Arab leaders and nations knowvery well, what Israel did in its destruction of our buildings, farms, factories, towns, villages and refugee camps," said Arafat.

Arafat said that more than 47,000 Palestinians were killed and injured by the Israelis during more than 17 months of the Intifada,adding that despite this aggression "the Palestinians would continue their struggle."

Arafat called the Israeli military policy of offensives, raids and operations against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as "a barbarian war using all kinds of weapons including internationally forbidden weapons."

Arafat said that the Palestinians are committed to the peace process, adding that they are also "committed to implement (George)Tenet's understanding and Mitchell report recommendations."

"The Israelis asked for one week calmness, and we gave them three weeks of complete calmness all over the Palestinian territories after December 16, but the Israelis aim to undermine all efforts to achieve calmness and reach a ceasefire," said Arafat.

Arafat said that the Palestinians have one sole demand, that is "they don't want to see more occupation and more settlements on their land. They want peace not only for our children, but also fortheir children."

"We are the victims of the occupation, settlements and terrorism. We are against killing civilians from both sides," Arafat said. "But I say that the occupation, the siege and collective punishment are more than terrorism."

Arafat called upon the Arab leaders to form a new Arab world that would be able to go in harmony with the new world "especially after the attacks in New York and Washington on September 11."

"We have to put our foot on the map of the new world," Arafat said. "Our speech and our policy must be equal to the size of our interests and the interests of the world."

After he addressed his speech, Arafat convened a meeting of his aides and political advisors to discuss the decision of the Palestinian delegation to withdraw from the summit.

Deputy speaker of the Palestinian parliament Ibrahim Abu Al Najasaid that the Palestinian authority is very much annoyed after his speech was interrupted at the meeting.

"Not allowing Arafat to address his speech directly to the summit, is similar to the Israeli government decision not to allow him (Arafat) to travel to Beirut and attend the summit," he said.

Abu Naja complained that the reason that the Palestinian delegation decided to pullout from the summit is "because the Arabswere not even able to pressure the United States to ask Israel to let Arafat attend the summit."

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