| Mid-East Realities | www.middleeast.org |
MID-EAST REALITIES - www.MiddleEast.Org - Washington - 12/22/2001: As we said the other day, we're all aware that Yasser Arafat's record of doing the right thing at the right time for the right reasons in the right way is rather tarnished, to say the least. But even tarnished almost consumed historic figures sometimes have their possible moments of historic redemption. And one such rare historic moment is fast approaching Monday for Yasser Arafat, the man who long ago annointed himself "Mr. Palestine".
Walk on Yasser. The Israelis have in fact given you the opportunity of your lifetime; history has dealt you a rare opportunity not likely to be available to you ever again.
Walk on Yasser. Walk in the name of peace, in the way of peace, through the grand city sacred to the three great religions of the book onward to the city of peace and to your own historic resurrection.
Walk on Yasser. Go slowly but surely, head held high. No need for any of those black-masked guys; no need in fact for anyone but you this time.
Walk on Yasser. For you could even regain the power of inspiration and conviction that many believe you have so badly squandered for so long.
Walk on Yasser. This time we're cheering for you too. Well...truth be told...not really for you personally but for the historic moment you could dramatize for the whole world on behalf of the entire Palestinian people whose credibility, along with your own, you've now put squarely on the line.
Walk on Yasser. Everyone everywhere is watching. Your moment has come.
JERUSALEM (Reuters - Saturday December 22 - 6:01 PM ET) - Israel's government said on Sunday it would bar Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from attending Christmas festivities in Bethlehem because he had not done enough to clamp down on "terror organizations.''
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet decided in a telephone vote to prevent Arafat from traveling to Bethlehem from his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah, Sharon's office said in a statement.
"The cabinet made its decision based on the fact that Arafat is not acting to dismantle Palestinian terror organizations and to prevent terror against Israel from Palestinian Authority areas,'' the statement said.
Israel has said announcements by some Islamic militants that they were suspending suicide attacks inside Israel were part of a secret deal with the Palestinian Authority to avoid an unpopular crackdown on militants.
To reach Bethlehem in the southern West Bank Arafat, who has been confined to Ramallah since an Israeli military offensive began two weeks ago, would need to cross Israeli-ruled territory.
| Mid-East Realities | www.middleeast.org |
| Source: http://www.middleeast.org/articles/2001/12/520.htm |