Clinton's controversial comments
AP 7/1/99: "Pledging new peacemaking efforts in the Middle East, President Clinton
offered broad support to Palestinians' aspirations Thursday and said they should be free
to live "wherever they like.''
Using a visit by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as a springboard, Clinton began to
lay out U.S. positions on a string of touchy issues bound to confront Israel and the Arabs
if they resumed negotiations.
"We now have a real chance to move the peace process forward in the Middle East,''
Clinton told reporters after he and Mubarak met for more than two hours in the Oval Office
and over lunch in the White House residence.
Mubarak, for his part, offered to hold separate talks with Israeli Prime Minister-elect
Ehud Barak, who is on the verge of finally setting up a new government, Syrian President
Hafez Assad and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The Egyptian leader said he was
confident Israel's new prime minister would implement accords reached with the
Palestinians by two predecessors, the late Yitzhak Rabin and Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We remain most willing and determined to do all we can,'' he said in asserting
the role of moderating force that Egypt assumed 20 years ago when it became the first Arab
state to make peace with Israel.
At the same time, Mubarak called for a suspension of Israeli settlements on the West
Bank and in Gaza, where the Palestinians envision having a state, and sharply criticized
Israel for retaliating to a Hezbollah rocket attack by bombing southern Lebanon...
Mubarak is likely to be followed here within a few weeks by Barak in what Clinton and
his senior advisers hope will initiate steps by Israel to meet Arab demands. Clinton said
that he would prefer waiting for the conclusion of that visit to make his own views public
and that terms of a settlement were up to the parties to decide. But responding to
questions, the president provided some insight into this thinking.
For the first time, Clinton spoke in support of Palestinian refugees, who for
generations have claimed they were expelled from their homes with the establishment of
Israel in 1948 and are demanding a right to return.
"I would like it if the Palestinian people felt free and were free to live
wherever they like, wherever they want to live,'' Clinton said. Also, Clinton said a
settlement between Israel and Arafat's Palestinian Authority "is also the best way
for Palestinians to shape their own future on their own land.''
As for Israel, Clinton criticized settlements as "unilateral actions'' that should
be deferred pending negotiations with the Palestinians.
[ZINC EDITOR'S NOTE: President Clinton did NOT say: "I would like it if the Jewish
people felt free and were free to live wherever they like, wherever they want to
live."]
He said the land-for-security agreement Netanyahu reached last year with Arafat should
be carried out. It would give the Palestinians control of an additional 14.1 percent of
the West Bank. After surrendering 2 percent, Netanyahu stopped, saying Arafat had not done
enough to uproot terrorist cells on land already held by the Palestinians. Clinton said
"the best way for the Israelis to have lasting security is a negotiated peace based
on mutual respect.'' He also said it was "the best way for Palestinians to shape
their own future on their own land.''
Clinton recalled his direct involvement in the Middle East dispute for six years. ``No
one can accuse me of dodging Middle East questions. I've been up to my ears and eyeballs
in this peace process since the day I took office,'' he said. "But if you just look
at it as a practical matter, the agreement that is made in the end, whether refugees go
home depends in part on how long they (the Palestinians) have been away and whether they
wish to go home.''
[The AP reported today 7/2/99 that: "...His statement Thursday that Palestinians
refugees should feel free to live wherever they liked was followed only a few hours later
by U.S. assurances to the Israeli Embassy here that U.S. policy had not changed.
..Israel's ambassador, Zalman Shoval, made no direct comment on Clinton's remarks. But
he said the only way to solve the festering problem of Palestinian refugees was
"through integration and absorption in the Arab countries in which they live, as
Israelis have solved the problem of the much larger number of Jewish refugees from Arab
countries.'']
Syria-PA dissension
Gaza's AL HAYAH AL JADIDAH 6/28/99: "First of all, we condemn the latest Israeli
aggression against Lebanon, and we stress that the provocative stands of the Damascus and
Beirut governments will not make us join the Israeli trench. However, what happened over
the past three days raises many questions and requires a thorough examination of the
positions of Syria and Lebanon.
The Israelis bombed a large area of Lebanon, confident that the reaction will be
limited and that the military situation is weak, despite the fact that large Syrian troops
are deployed all over the country. Apparently, Tel Aviv knew in advance that the Syrian
forces would not fire a single bullet on an Israeli plane, even if this were meant to
exonerate Syria of any blame.
This is because at this stage--actually this applies to all other previous
stages--Damascus is not interested in fighting Israel and waging a limited battle with it,
let alone a major war. Israel launched a large-scale aggression, also confident about the
political reaction, which is exactly as it had expected.
The Arab League was content with condemnation, while official Syrian media quickly came
up with the intelligent conclusion that Netanyahu wants to embarrass Baraq. Of course,
nothing can embarrass the Syrian government! We refused to believe that Damascus and
Beirut are trying to revive their negotiating track to freeze ours.
We still believe that the negotiation process is a bad option imposed by worse
Palestinian and Arab circumstances. However, given this situation, we hope that the
predicament of the joint track will be resolved, since we believe that this will
automatically speed up our own track.
In spite of this, Lebanese and Syrian politicians are still wagering on an antithetical
relationship between the two tracks. They believe that reviving their track will
necessarily lead to freezing ours. Since the negotiating track is not our only option, we
are not very much worried because the Syrian and Lebanese borders with Palestine will
remain closed to us, irrespective of the outcome and fate of the negotiations.
We will not ask any more questions, and we will not remain captive to the logic of
vendettas, which prompts the Lebanese president to reiterate that he and his government
are interested in liberating the south and the Golan and in getting rid of Palestinian
refugees in Lebanon! We will continue to say that they try to intimidate us, while we see
in them a source of strength for us."
Interpol/fugitives
Ramallah's AL AYYAM 6/24/99: "Minister of Justice Lawyer Furayj Abu-Middayn has
revealed to al-Ayyam that Palestine is seeking to become a member in the international
police organization, Interpol. He noted that the United States has been asked to support
the Palestinians' request for membership in this international agency during a meeting
that will be held in October after Palestine submitted a request to become a member in
this body.
He said: "We are working on this matter a great deal and have formed a lobby (a
pressure group) for this purpose consisting of the countries that support our
membership." The Minister of Justice noted that the Palestinian Authority asked the
United States to help bolster the forensic laboratory, the measures for whose
establishment will be finalized in Gaza next month.
It also asked about the possibility of setting up another laboratory in the West Bank.
He said: "We asked the United States to help us in the scope of uncovering and
testing weapons, and tracing fingerprints on weapons."
The Palestinian demands came within the course of the meetings of the Palestinian-US
Legal Committee, which convened yesterday in Ramallah...Abu-Middayn pointed out that the
PA has its own problems regarding the matter of handing over and receiving criminals.
He elaborated on this saying: "We have problems in this realm. These consist of
the fact that we do not have independent borders. If, for example, we want to submit a
request to arrest a certain person in the United States, how can we have him extradited?
Or for example, if a person runs away from any place in the world and comes here to us
after committing a crime, how can we get him out and hand him over to another state?"
He added, "this is what happened with us with regard to some countries. Some Arab
countries submitted requests to us asking that we hand over some criminals. But how can we
get these people out? First of all, Israel is still controlling the crossings. Second, we
do not have independent borders, which means that we need to take any wanted person
through Egypt or Jordan. This requires bilateral agreements."
He went on, "these issues are all on their way to a solution. They can all be
solved with the establishment of a state. But this is an introduction to sovereignty,
sound legal action, and interaction with the international community with all its
institutions, whether the United Nations, Interpol, or any bilateral relationship with any
state."
Answering a question on whether the United States is demanding that fugitives who fled
to the Palestinian territories be extradited to the United States, Abu-Middayn said,
"they did talk about some wanted fugitives who fled the United States for
embezzlement crimes to our territories.
However, we told them that we believe that one of these people has died and the other
person ran away to Brazil." He added, "they asked for information about the
perpetrators of these common crimes, but our answer was that they need to give us
information and we are ready to help in this way."
Answering a question on whether the US side had demanded the extradition of
Palestinians whom Israel claimed had killed American citizens in operations that targeted
Israelis, he answered, "they did not raise this matter with us, and there is no
relationship between what we are talking about now and the baseless accusations the
Israeli side has been spreading."
The PA did inform the US side about criminals who have dual American and Palestinian
citizenship, who committed crimes in the Palestinian territories and fled to the United
States. This is the problem that has become known as the dual nationality problem.
The Minister of Justice said, "the PA policy, which we informed them of, is that
the PA territories will not be a shelter for any outlaw or any person who has committed
acts of embezzlement or crimes in any place in the world, not only in the United States,
particularly the crimes that have an economic nature, such as money laundering, or
homicides, or crimes relating to counterfeiting or forgery, as well as other
crimes."...
Daoud's doings (Munich operation)
London's AL SHARQ AL AWSAT 6/29/99: "Responsible Palestinian sources have said
that Fatah Revolutionary Council member Muhammad Dawud 'Awdah (Abu-Dawud), whose memoirs
and statements on the Munich fedayeen operation caused a huge uproar over the past weeks,
has left Jordan for an undisclosed destination after the authorities told him that his
presence in Jordan was no longer desirable and that he has to leave and must not return to
Jordan for the time being.
It was also rumored that the Fatah movement has decided to dismiss Abu-Dawud from its
Revolutionary Council because of these statements, which senior Palestinian officials say
have harmed the relations with several Arab brother states and several friendly states.
According to the sources, the Jordanian authorities asked Abu-Dawud to leave Jordan
because of pressure from Interpol, because Germany presented an official request for his
extradition, and because Jordanian officials fear that Mosad will try to liquidate him.
Although his family has denied knowledge of the destination of Abu-Dawud -- who, after
his recent statements on the Munich operation, was prevented by the Israeli authorities
from returning to the self-rule areas -- some people believe that he may have gone to Cuba
to live there as a political refugee, given that he was in contact with some officials in
the Cuban state..."
Yasser's checkup
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 6/30/99: "Yasser Arafat is in good health and not suffering
from Parkinson's disease, a leading Jordanian neurologist said Wednesday after examining
the Palestinian leader. Ashraf Kurdi, who Arafat consulted Tuesday, told AFP the
69-year-old Palestinian leader was suffering from a "benign tremor" as a result
of overexertion and that his condition "has nothing to do with Parkinson's
disease."
Arafat's tremor is eased during periods of rest, he added. Kurdi, a former Jordanian
health minister, said there had been no change between the results of tests conducted
Tuesday and results from his previous checkup. Arafat joked with reporters about his
health on Tuesday shortly after the tests.
When asked how he was doing he simply repeated "What do you see?" while
admitting he had a checkup with Kurdi. Following a plane accident in April 1992, the
Palestinian leader underwent an operation at the King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman to
remove a blood clot from his brain.
Kurdi, who has examined Arafat on several occasions since the accident, stressed that
the tests he conducted were just a routine checkup and that the results were "very
good."...
PA Labor: Worked up
Gaza's AL HAYA AL JADIDAH 6/24/99: "The Labor Unity Bloc [LUB] in Qalqilyah held
an expanded meeting in the city in the presence of the LUB Secretary Mustafa 'Allan and
LUB command member Salim Khallah. The conferees reviewed the decision by the Palestinian
leadership to stop Palestinians from working in the settlements.
In a statement to Al-Hayah al-Jadidah, 'Allan said that the conferees viewed the
Palestinian decision as a step in the right direction if it is coupled with a national
political decision that peace negotiations will not be resumed on the Palestinian track
unless all settlement measures taken by the Netanyahu government are canceled.
The conferees called on the Palestinian National Authority [PNA] to translate its
decision on the ground by earmarking funds for the construction of projects that would
employ the Palestinian labor force that works in the settlements.
They decided to hold a workshop to be attended by Palestinian businessmen,
industrialists, the Ministry of Labor, and the chambers of industry and trade to study
ways for employing those who work in the settlements.
They called on their fellow workers to unite efforts to render the decision of the
Palestinian leadership a success. The conferees also called on the PNA to enhance its
decision by banning Palestinian contractors and brokers from carrying out any direct or
indirect activity dealing with the construction or expansion of settlements..."
Arafat autocracy
Cairo's AL WAFD 6/26/99--Op-ed by Fouad Fawaz: "News Agencies published that the
Palestinian authorities rounded up 13 persons on the charge of distributing tracts abusing
men close to Yasir 'Arafat. Leaflets spoke of the infractions of these men and their
relatives, who have snatched all the high positions around the Palestinian leader.
Naturally, 'Arafat, just like most other leaders of Third World states, has chosen his
entourage from people he could trust. Why should he be different? This style has become
the norm in Third World states. Mold those around you as you wish them to be and you shall
be safe from coup attempts and perdition, an advice by a wise despot to those who would
listen.
The majority of the rulers in the Third World habitually gave the chance to their
confidants to secure their loyalty, because the entourage and followers in this instance
would defend their current status, chalets, and back accounts. The people could perish for
all they cared. As long as the bank accounts were replenished, let all shantytowns crumble
and weather.
I truly hoped that chairman 'Arafat would struggle to recover Palestinian rights, his
ranks united and solidly built to face the Israeli enemy, and safe from any attempt to
penetrate his lines. However, being in such a state of historic despotism and with the
tendency to crush those who disagree, try to redress his opinions, or criticize his
entourage and its behavior, he would remain vulnerable to all penetration attempts, which
would weaken the unity of the Palestinians.
However, it seems that the Palestinian leader considered the opening of Gaza airport to
be the end to the wars. He thought that he would not take up fighting again under any
form, or even decide to fight corruption, because what we have already done is enough.
Enough wars and fighting. Usually, this is typical of revolutionaries in the Third World
states, famous for making tyrants.
When the revolutionary casts away arms, a new era begins based on the ideology of
former rebels, which maintains that long privation drives to madness. The old rebel turns
Epicurean, rabidly seeking to enjoy all worldly pleasures, and one cannot criticize him
when he does that.
Let us say that the ongoing fight now between 'Arafat and the State of Israel is not
equal at all. Israel fights 'Arafat with the most sophisticated of liberal weapons ever
found in democratic communities. This weapon guarantees that no mistakes would be made
again. It would safeguard us from drifting behind dreams or imagining that we could drown
the enemy at sea."
No 5 way meeting
Paris' AL WATAN AL ARABI 6/25/99: "Senior Arab political sources have revealed the
true story regarding the attempt to hold a five-way summit comprising the presidents of
Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon as well as King 'Abdallah Bin-al-Husayn and Palestinian
President Yasir 'Arafat.
This summit aimed to coordinate positions on the peace process and the coming
negotiations with Israel after Ehud Baraq was entrusted with forming a new Israeli
Government. The sources said that President 'Arafat persistently sought to convene this
five-way summit and appealed to Egyptian President Husni Mubarak and King 'Abdallah to
separately work for securing the appropriate circumstances for it.
Moreover, the sources said that President Mubarak and King 'Abdallah were also
convinced of the need to convene a summit, so they held contacts with Syrian President
Hafiz al-Asad and the Lebanese officials in this regard. Other Arab sides took part in
these contacts. The sources pointed out that these contacts aimed to convene this summit
either in Damascus or Cairo this month.
They added that, contrary to what some Palestinian officials said, the Lebanese
officials did not openly support the convening of this summit but they rather asserted
that "they had no objection" to attending a five-way summit "provided that
all the parties concerned agree to its convocation."
Furthermore, the sources acknowledged that the Syrian leadership openly rejected this
five-way summit because of 'Arafat's participation in it. However, the Syrian leadership,
not content with this rejection, gave sufficient justifications to convince the other
parties to forget about this summit at the present time.
The sources said that the main reason for the Syrian objection to this summit is that
the Syrian officials believe that 'Arafat wants to convene it in order to secure an Arab
cover for any future agreement with the Israeli Government on the final-status issues, led
by Jerusalem, the fate of the Palestinian refugees, the future of the Israeli settlements
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and other important issues listed on the agenda of these
negotiations.
The Syrian officials also believe that 'Arafat will make a host of concessions during
these negotiations, so he wants to convene the five-way summit in order to provide a cover
for his coming concessions."
Israeli/Palestinian Arabs
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 6/30/99: "Breaking a 50-year taboo, a leader of Israel's
million-strong Arab community said Wednesday that he would seek observer status for the
minority in the 22-nation Arab League.
"I will ask Dr. Esmat Abdel Meguid, the secretary-general of the Arab League, if
he would allow the Arabs of Israel to join the league as observers only," Abdel Wahab
Darawshe, a leader of the United Arab List and deputy in the outgoing parliament, told AFP
on Wednesday. "Our position is that we are Israeli citizens but that we are members
of the Palestinian people and part of the Arab people," Darawshe said.
"The Arab world has not recognized us until now. But there has been an improvement
in the atmosphere," he said. The former deputy said he would submit the request
during a visit to Cairo beginning Sunday. He said the aim of membership would be to allow
Arab Israelis to take part in the social, sporting and cultural activities of the League.
Israeli Arabs are the descendants of Palestinians who stayed on after the first
Arab-Israeli war when the state of Israel was created in 1948. They form one sixth of the
six million-strong population of the Jewish state. These Arabs hold Israeli citizenship
and have the right to vote in elections, but are not subject to the military draft. Nor
has the community been recognized as a separate group by the Arab League, which was
founded in 1945 to strengthen ties between member states.
Darawshe said he was only suggesting the Arab Israelis take observer status in the
league because Palestinians are formally represented in the body by Yasser Arafat's
Palestine Liberation Organization..."
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