Editorial in a leading Saudi Arabian newspaper. Didn't realize they could think that straight.
Sunday - 30 June 2002
Who’s to Decide?
Apparently, President Arafat has become an Israeli-American problem. For the first time ever, a superpower is demanding the ousting of a democratically elected leader. The superpower is also using its military might and economic pressure to prevent aid from reaching the Palestinians. The American stand is very similar to that of the Israelis. The call made by President Bush to oust Arafat was refused by most G8 leaders. This is because they feel that this may be a bad precedent which may be repeated in countries where the US feels that the leaders are not playing the roles assigned to them. In the past, the US had refused to confer with Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Ahmad Sukarno, despite the fact that all these leaders had emerged from jail and exiles and lead their people. these leaders are considered heroes in their countries.
Though many hold contradictory views about Arafat, nobody has the right to dispose him accept the Palestinian people who had elected him in the first place. The Europeans are of the opinion that Arafat is not the problem and the real problem is the power struggle between the White House and the Congress. This is because decisions in the Congress are taken with the approval of Israel and then these decisions are used to put more pressure on the Bush administration. These decisions contradict the views of the Europeans and the Russians. The problem is that whenever Arafat tries to come closer to the peace proposals that reflect the interests of his people Israel, using military force and diplomacy, backs off.
The Europeans, who have earlier had both conflicts and reconciliation with the Arabs, do not want to go against international law, which gives protection to countries. If the US thinks that Arafat’s government is a dictatorship then this is not an excuse as they are many other such governments in the region. Just as the heads of states of other democracies, Arafat has every right to suspend the constitution and pass emergency laws during crisis. The main points in the American statement on a Palestinian state side by side with Israel are based on UN resolutions. They also include points on solving the problems between the organizations and the Palestinian Authority by forging national unity in order to facilitate the peace process. All of these points were previously stated, except the disposal of the Palestinian Authority.
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