Arafat will be there…even if in spirit [Archives:2002/13/Focus]

BY SAADI SALAMA
PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT IN SANA’A
When delivering a joint press conference with the USA Vice President Mr. Dick Cheney, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon showed his typical arrogance. He did not know that Palestinian President Arafat is not dying to attend the Arab League summit in Beirut, and that H.E. will never beg or demand to leave for this meeting. That is because President Arafat is fully aware that he can attend the meeting either in person or spiritually, not only in Beirut but elsewhere in the world where the Palestinian issue is in the center of discussions.
Thus all Sharons statements and demands are empty, and when Sharon imposes conditions, he knows that these conditions are indications to his political bankruptcy.
Sharon can prevent Arafat from attending the summit meeting, but that is the difference between these two leaders. One sits on the top and looks down, and the other participates with and shares his peoples suffering.
The latest Israeli creation is to steel cage Palestinian workers. This is the Jewish mentality of treating the weaker by humiliating, confining, and preventing their president from leaving the home land or returning back.
Sharon has repeatedly made mistakes, ever since he started his term in office by spreading murder and destruction against the Palestinians and their property. He has exposed the Jewish prejudice and racist practices to the whole world, to a degree that his people, if being not racist or prejudice, should bring him to justice to protect themselves from his acts.
President Arafat will be in Beirut whether present or present absent! He will deliver his speech to the summit meeting like everyone else, even under the Israeli tank canon barrels a few meters away from his office,
Sharons threats will not stop the Palestinian president that gains his immunity from the people. Sharon is not confronting the Palestinians alone, he is confronting all Arab leaders who will assemble in Beirut and speak against Sharons humiliating messages on the entire Arab world.
We do not know if Mr. Cheney is aware of the entire Sharon scheme and desire to have the U.S agree to his plans. But what we do know that the Arab League summit will reveal more of this scheme and expose lead to new precautions taken to protect the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world.
I believe that the Arab League summit comes at a crucial time, for it is not dealing only with the Palestinian issue, or just with the issue of Israeli state terror, but with the earthquake that took place last September 11th.
We have to defend ourselves against a tide that is led by the Jewish lobby in the USA, a lobby that is attempting to divert the path of war against terror into a war against the Arabs, Islam and Muslims.
How can we protect ourselves, the Palestinians who are at the front line of the battles, as Arab Nations?
The answer will be available to the leaders at the summit. They will conclude that it is about time to unite and make a historical decision to create a mechanism to protect Arab interests, to form a solid block that can influence the US administration to change its path.
Danger is all around us, but it is not unbeatable, providing its dealt with it in a modern, developed and united manner.

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