World is on our side: Arafat

[Blackaxe]

Ramallah, July 10. — Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat said today that Israel will be unable to avoid dismantling the separation barrier it is building in the West Bank after the world court declared it illegal.

“The ruling of the court in The Hague demonstrates that the entire world is on the side of the Palestinian people against this wall,” Mr Arafat said at a graduation ceremony for Palestinian officers at his headquarters here.

“No one can impose this wall of apartheid on us, and its dismantlement is unavoidable. The Berlin Wall collapsed and the Sharon Wall will follow,” he said.

Mr Arafat had hailed as a “victory for the Palestinian people” the International Court of Justice’s ruling yesterday that the barrier is illegal. “We salute this decision condemning the racist wall,” he said.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=8&theme=&usrsess=1&id=48175

[acmavm]

1. The Palestinians would be a lot better off in Arafat didn't continually

open his mouth.

[Jerseygirltoo]

3. Why?

Is there something about his statement that offends you? Wouldn't you expect the Palestinians to feel validated by this court decision?

[acmavm]

4. Of course I expect the Palestinians to feel vindicated by this ruling.

That goes without saying.

But Arafat has discredited himself many times over. When Clinton tried to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians Arafat refused to comprimise, in fact, he walked out on the deal and everything went back to as bad, no,even worse that it was before the talks at Oslo.

Arafat is just as bad as Sharon. They are two bitter old warriors full of hate who refuse to comprimise, refuse to give an inch. They would rather the bloodshed and strife last a thousand years rather than give comprimise, even if it meant an end to the bloodshed. The world would be better off if there was a way to put Arafat and Sharon in a prison cell together for the rest of their lives. Let them fight their bitter war out alone. Two horrible old warriors who don't mind that they are dragging another generation into the abyss. I meant what I said, the Palestinians and the world would be better off if Arafat shut his mouth. The same goes for Sharon. They are two old terrorists. No more, no less.

[Jerseygirltoo]

7. OK, I can go along with that

The world would be better off if the two of them were locked up together...but as things stand, Sharon is way more dangerous, he is the leader of a country with nuclear weapons. Arafat is basically under house arrest, not much he can do except jawbone.

[Aidoneus]

13. Not entirely true

Arafat's offer itself represented a capitulation of the vast majority of Palestine before even coming to the table. The talks only related to discussions of scraps of what remained, which could not represent a more insulting environment.

[funnymanpants]

18. Not true

That is one of the great myths.

Arafat continued to negotiate. There were several more negotiation sessions, the last one being in Tabba.

What happened in the first session is that Barak said "We've moved 100,000 more settlers into your territory, cutting it up and making a viable state impossible. So deal with it!"

And of course, Arafat said no way.

Another big myth is that the problem comes just from Arafat; that Barak and Clinton wanted peace.

In fact, they both wanted peace, but they didn't want to give the Palestinians a real homeland. From the signing of the accords until 1990, Israel moved 100,000 more settlers into the West Bank and E. Jerasulum, a blatant violation of international law. Clinton did nothing to stop this. Barak encouraged it. (More settlments were built under Barak than the right-wing Likkud party.)

You can get Arafat completely out of the picture, which is fine with me, because is utterly corrupt. You can get Sharon out of the picuture, which is also fine with me.

There will still be 3.5 million Palestinians without the basic rights to resources and self-detemination. No party in Israel has ever been serious about giving the Palestinian a real state.

[Massacure]

2. The world is with Palestine, but the U.S. is with Israel.

Unfortunately.

[Chicago Democrat]

5. yup, only a Democrat can bridge the gap... the repugs blew it

Completely and utterly.... beyond repair, perhaps. then apocalypse time, yikes

[Swamp Rat]

6. Arafat is right... now, I bet this thread will be moved to the I/P forum.

I hope Kerry will take the lead on this issue.

[Nevernose]

8. I thought the wall was a great idea

Until I saw that 60 minutes episode on it, which revealed it to be essentially a land grab. Given the suicide bombings, erecting a giant fence around the West Bank seemed a pretty good idea to keep out guys with plastique strapped to their chest; then 60 minutes put up that rather dramatic map showing the wall going right through the West Bank.

I wonder how many "normal" people, like me, had and still have that same perception?

[CJCRANE]

24. Exactly, problem is not wall itself but where it's being built n/t

.

[Jim Sagle]

9. The Peace Fence...making the world a better place, one brick at a time.

[minkyboodle]

10. lol

Jim Sagle, discrediting himself, one post at a time :eyes:

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Hold on one minute there, Jimbo...

Bricks? They make walls!

Also, the Israeli Supreme Court and the International Court of Justice don't agree with that one-liner of yrs. And when it comes down to credibility, both of the former have oodles of it compared to a short sound-byte on the internet :)

Violet...

[Jim Sagle]

12. Sound bytes RAWWWWWWWWWK!!!!!!

[Matilda]

14. There would be no need for any walls if the Israelis really want peace.

But I'm afraid they don't - they want land.

This is from a long-time Israeli supporter, and I feel let down and
very sad. But the truth is, they took half of another people's
land, and now they want it all.

If the Palestinians had real hope, there would be no more suicide
bombings, and no need for an apartheid wall.

[Jim Sagle]

15. You've got it all reversed, IMO.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Violet_Crumble]

22. Jim's fun once you get used to him...

That's why I'm glad he graces us with his presence in the I/P forum. I've got a soft spot for Jim that I wouldn't have if I hadn't read some of his opinions on other issues, or seen him stick up for DU once over at lgf. 99.9% of Jim's posts consist of five or less words with multiple exclamation marks after them, but there's some times when he will put some effort into it and even though I don't agree with what he says, he's gone a bit deeper than the short sound-bytes. It gets a bit boring to see repetitive: 'The UN SUUUUCCCCKSSS!' etc, but I don't mind it when he tries to explain in a few more words than usual why he thinks that way...

Violet...

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[grapedape]

16. Arafat is wrong

He and his terror henchmen are the bane of the Middle East. He needs to shut up and disappear. His hate and lies are the major cause of trouble in Israel.

[funnymanpants]

17. Good grief!

What a bunch of nonsense. Israel has killed 3 times as many Palestinians as the other way around.

If Arafat disappears, there will still be occupation. Nothing will change.

[Gyre]

20. Like he helped at all.

Arafat strikes me as being a little like Ralph Nader. He's history but won't go softly into that good night. Pretty undignified.

I really believe there is decent circumstantial evidence that Arafat is being protected by the Mossad. For the Palestinians he's like an energizer bunny of bad PR. A pinhead. As long as he's around (impotent and beaten old man that he is)the Israelis will be able to point at him and say, see what we're up against! And then Of course, justify more atrocities against the Palestinian people. it's preposterous of course. Arafat can't really do much damage to anybody but he does make a hell of a boogey man for US consumption, and he really looks the part. I particularly like it when on US network TV he gets worked up and starts crying. That is a really appealing image. Us westerners just love to identify with men who cry. NOT! AIPAC would've paid hundreds of millions for that, but Arafat gave it to them for free. He's a humdinger.

Hey Ara, you've done a pretty good job of screwing your people. Why don't you just shut up and not "help" them anymore.

Gyre

[Matilda]

21. No, Arafat is not a good man, nor is he a good leader.

I think he has always put his own status above the well-being of
the Palestinians. But his job isn't an easy one, because the
Palestinians have very little to bargain with. Israel has the
money and the weaponry and the backing of the U.S., no matter what
they do, and the Palestinians have nothing but a little goodwill.

But whatever Arafat's done wrong, he's more than matched now by
Sharon, who is nothing but a glorified thug. I don't believe
peace can ever be a reality with either of those two in power -
and especially not with Bush in the White House.

There is a famous book about South Africa called "Cry, The Beloved
Country", and I think that title applies also to Israel/Palestine.
It's a beautiful, mystical country full of history, and it's being
ripped to pieces, instead of being treasured by the people who
claim to own it.