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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Monday, December 17, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Monday, Dec. 17, 2001 / Tevet 2, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. UZI LANDAU: ARAFAT'S WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH 2. PLO LEADER: SEPT. 11 WILL BE A LESSON TO US 3. ARAB KNESSET MEMBERS MEET WITH ARAFAT, THEN INSULT IDF TROOPS 4. ARABS CONTINUE ILLEGAL WORKS ON TEMPLE MOUNT
1. UZI LANDAU: ARAFAT'S WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH In an interview with Voice of Israel radio this morning, Israel's Public Security Minister Uzi Landau pointed out that Arafat never called for an end to terrorism against Israel in his Id al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) speech last night on local Arab television. Landau stressed that what is more important now is not what Arafat says, but what action he takes in putting a halt to terrorist activity.
Other highlights from the Landau interview:
"Arafat is a pathological liar. He has not done anything to keep his promises over the last eight years. Every time he speaks, the opposite occurs. We know that he is not lying only when he doesn't open his mouth."
"What I expect from Arafat now is to take action against those who are perpetrators of terrorist activity. If he has the chutzpah (gall) to speak, he should use the opportunity to outlaw terrorist organizations such as the PLFP, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and then take drastic action against them and against those in his own Tanzim and Force 17 who carry out terrorist activities."
"Arafat thinks that we are suckers, but Israelis have woken up since the Dolphinarium massacre in Tel-Aviv. Many Israelis have been murdered since then. We need to start dealing with Arafat, similar to the way that President Bush is dealing with Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban."
"Arafat and the Palestinian Authority must stop inciting their children to carry out violence against Israel. They must begin re-educating their children by teaching them the value of peace, as we have been teaching the Israeli children in our schools"
Other reactions to the Arafat speech:
Israeli President Moshe Katsav said that Arafat is still not a partner for peace. Katsav was quoted on Army radio saying, "When someone's checks bounce once and then a second time, you have to stop extending credit and only accept cash."
The Council for Jewish Communities in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza) released a statement that Arafat was and remains a terrorist, and no words or statements will change that fact. The Yesha Council continues to demand the expulsion of Arafat, the dismantling of the PA, and the restoration of order and security by Israeli forces, which must once again take responsibility for security in what are now PA areas throughout Yesha.
US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said the time has come for PA leader Yasser Arafat to stop making statements and begin taking some action in a positive direction. The senior US official called on Arafat to begin to dismantle terrorist organizations that operate in PA areas and bring an end to the ongoing terrorist attacks.
2. PLO LEADER: SEPT. 11 WILL BE A LESSON TO US In a Dec. 12 interview with London's Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat, Farouq Al-Qaddumi, the head of the PLO's political department, said that the events of Sept. 11 "will be a lesson to the U.S." In the interview, which was translated into English by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Qaddumi added, "This was the first time that Arabic names entered every American household."
While the PLO officially condemned the Sept. 11 attacks, thousands of Palestinians were seen dancing in the streets of PLO-controlled cities as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center crumbled. These scenes were similar to the ones in 1991 when Arabs danced from their rooftops as Iraqi Scud missiles rained down on Tel-Aviv neighborhoods. In addition, many rallies have been held in Arafat's autonomous areas and throughout the Muslim world since Sept. 11, to express solidarity with Osama-Bid Laden and his Al-Qaeda terrorist network.
Regarding Israel, Al-Qaddumi said, "resistance is not a conventional war." But this war [The Oslo War] "is a war based on the element of surprise, in time and place. In this war, one incites the public for 20 hours, and fights for perhaps two hours."
3. ARAB KNESSET MEMBERS MEET WITH ARAFAT, THEN INSULT IDF TROOPS Arab Knesset Members Muhammed Barakeh and Ahmed Tibi met with Yasser Arafat in Ramallah today in a show of support for the PLO leader. Following the meeting, the two MK's incited a riot at the nearby IDF A-Ram checkpoint on the northern border of the capital. Soldiers manning the roadblock say that MK Tibi spat at them and cursed them, and then incited Arabs there to a violent riot. Security forces dispersed the mob by firing their weapons in the air. Police and the army are investigating the incident. In September, 1987, Dr. Tibi was dismissed from the Hadassah hospital medical staff for striking a guard at the hospital entrance.
4. ARABS CONTINUE ILLEGAL WORKS ON TEMPLE MOUNT The Committee for Preventing Destruction of Temple Mount Artifacts reports today that Arab construction continues full force at Judaism's holiest site. Committee Chairman Yisrael Kaspi, a noted archeologist, says that last night an Arab tractor moved mounds of dirt in an area known to contain valuable artifacts. Kaspi says that such ground-moving work by the Arabs without archeological supervision causes wanton destruction of irreplaceable artifacts of the ancient Jewish Temple. Public Security Minister Uzi Landau issued an order months ago that no tractors may work on the Temple Mount without his authorization.
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001 / Tevet 3, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
NUYB MINISTERS EXPLAIN DECISION
The National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu party has decided to remain in the government, despite the opinion of some of its seven Knesset Members that Prime Minister Sharon is not acting firmly enough to dismantle the Palestinian Authority. The party's two Cabinet ministers were divided on the issue; National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman was in favor of leaving, while Tourism Minister Benny Elon was against. This represents an about-face from both ends; two months ago, Lieberman was in favor of remaining in the government, while Elon's predecessor, the assassinated Rehavam Ze'evi, wanted to quit.
"So now you're in a government that you don't believe in?" Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked Lieberman today. Lieberman responded, "I believe first of all in the integrity and unity of our Knesset faction, and that important decisions of this nature be agreed upon unanimously." He explained, however, that in his opinion, the "local" offensives that the government is carrying out will not solve the problem: "We are in a war of attrition, and only a decisive military victory will bring us peace." Minister Benny Elon later explained his side:
"The government, with its decision that the PA is a "terrorism-supporting entity" - the same decision the U.S. made against the Taliban before its current war - showed that Peres is no longer the captain of the government, and his way no longer leads. A few days later, the government decided that Arafat is irrelevant, which meant that there would be no contacts with them at all. Peres, therefore, never should have left an opening that maybe Arafat's speech [in which he said he was ordering a total end to the violence] might be acceptable; we must continue the pressure, and ensure that the government goes along the path it has set for itself - not only by destroying the infrastructure of the PA terrorist base, but also by uprooting the basis for the greatest danger ever faced by the State of Israel, i.e., the possibility of the creation of a Palestinian state. This is something that, sad to tell, has become accepted as inevitable even by some in the right-wing camp. It must never be! . Our job now must be to continue with this pressure, and uproot the Oslo conception; if Peres and his friends don't like it, they can leave the government. We cannot rest for a moment."
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001 / Tevet 4, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. ISRAEL -P.A. SECURITY MEETING 2. ARAFAT: OSLO AGREEMENT IS A "TROJAN HORSE" 3. ISRAELIS WANT MORE ALIYAH; ARABS WANT MORE SUICIDE ATTACKS
1. ISRAEL -P.A. SECURITY MEETING U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called both Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Sharon last night, demanding that they resume security talks immediately. The Israeli leader told Powell that in the preceding 48 hours there had been 31 terror attacks in which four Israeli civilians were wounded; one of them is in critical condition, and another is a 3-year-old boy. "Arafat continues to give the green light to terrorism, is not arresting terrorists and has taken no preventative actions to foil attacks," Sharon told Powell.
Despite his explanations, the Prime Minister allowed security consultations to be held this morning. Foreign Minister Peres said afterwards that Arafat had taken some "modest steps" towards stopping terrorism, while the PA's Abu Ala said that the consultations had not produced any genuine results. Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane asked Housing Minister Natan Sharansky, a member of the security mini-cabinet, about these talks: "They seem to indicate that the government is still counting on the PA to fight terrorism, despite the decision that Arafat is irrelevant...?" Sharansky responded,
"I greatly regret if someone still has these illusions that Arafat could be our partner; it could even be dangerous because we are strengthening his international image - a mistake that we have made in the past. On the other hand, it doesn't mean that we can't have contact with some of Arafat's underlings in the field."
Sharansky also related to the complexities of the national unity government:
"We have to both fight terrorism with no compromise, and also maintain unity and consensus in the country. A narrow government would have a much harder time carrying out the military activities that have been taken until now, because of international pressure, internal pressure, and the like. At the same time, the unity government cannot be allowed to exist at any price; our decision to declare Arafat irrelevant was very important, but if we continue to treat him as if he is both irrelevant and relevant - i.e., we fight [his] terrorism and also treat him as a peace partner, I don't think this government will have a future."
2. ARAFAT: OSLO AGREEMENT IS A "TROJAN HORSE" Only two days after a speech in which he called for an end to some terrorism against Israel, PLO leader Yasser Arafat encouraged the opposite to a crowd in Ramallah yesterday. "All the Palestinians are martyrs," he cried, "and are all Muhammad al-Dura!" Al-Dura was a 12-year-old boy whose death in the early days of the Oslo War became a symbol for the Palestinians; they claimed that he was killed by Israeli cross-fire, but some evidence clearly showed that he was in fact killed by Arab shots.
Arafat also said, "This brave people will continue to protect and defend our holy land with its blood and soul, and all its property... We will meet next time in Jerusalem, because we are fighting in order to bring the victory to our prophets, every baby, every child, every man, every woman, and every elder person, and all the youth - we will sacrifice ourselves for our holy places, and we will establish our dominion over them. We are prepared to give 70 of our martyrs for every martyr of theirs in this campaign..."
It was further reported that Arafat made some other inflammatory comments against Israel on another recent occasion. "The Oslo Agreement is a Trojan horse with which to get senior Palestinian leaders into Israel," he told a closed forum in Ramallah a few days ago. Israel government and security officials are presently studying the material in which Arafat is quoted as having said, "The intifada that the Palestinians began last year represents their coming out of the insides of the horse." The operative interpretation is that Arafat's conciliatory speech of three days ago is of no significance, and that the attacks against Israel should continue.
Feisal Husseini, too, called the Oslo Accords a Trojan horse. In his last interview, given to Egypt's Al-Arabi newspaper, Husseini said, "The [ancient] Greek Army was unable to break into Troy... [Following the Greeks' apparent defeat,] the people of Troy climbed on top of their city walls and could not find any traces of the Greek army, except for a giant wooden horse. They cheered and celebrated, thinking that the Greek troops had been routed and had left behind only a harmless wooden horse. So they opened the gates of the city and brought in the wooden horse. We all know what happened next. Had the U.S. and Israel not [thought], before Oslo, that all that was left of the Palestinian National movement and the Pan-Arab movement was a wooden horse called Arafat or the PLO, they would never have opened their fortified gates and let it inside their walls... The Oslo accords were a Trojan horse; the strategic goal is the liberation of Palestine from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea..."
3. ISRAELIS WANT MORE ALIYAH; ARABS WANT MORE SUICIDE ATTACKS A survey of the Jewish population of Israel has found that 80% of the population believe that Aliyah [Jewish immigration to Israel] must be encouraged even during these times. The poll, carried out by the Dachaf Institute for the Jewish Agency, found that 63% believe that bonds between Israel and the Diaspora are equally important to both sides; 20% say that the ties are more important to Israelis and 14% feel that they are more important to Diaspora Jews. Approximately one-third of the Jewish population said that they personally helped absorb immigrants to at least some degree.
Other issues occupy public opinion in the PA's autonomous areas, however. Almost two-thirds of the Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are in favor of continuing suicide attacks against Israel, according to poll results released by an eastern Jerusalem communications center. Eighty percent want the intifada to continue, and 72% are against PA arrests of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. What is the goal of the present war? A full 39% feel that the purpose is to "liberate all historic Palestine, including the area of the State of Israel," while 49% will settle for banishing Israel from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza and the establishment of another Arab state there.
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Thursday, Dec. 20, 2001 / Tevet 5, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
ARAFAT IS RELEVANT, ACCORDING TO PERES
IDF troops came under enemy gunfire this morning near Dahaniye in Gaza, and IDF outpost next to the nearby Jewish community of Gadid was also shot at. No one was hurt. In a series of early morning operations throughout Judea and Samaria, IDF troops and General Security Services operatives apprehended 11 Arabs suspected of anti-Israel terrorist activity. Six PA residents, including a Hamas terrorist, were arrested in a village near Ariel in central Shomron. In Hevron, security services arrested an Islamic Jihad member, and west of Bethlehem, another four Arabs were arrested for having throwing rocks and firebombs at Israelis.
Last night's security consultation meeting between senior PLO militia heads and IDF and intelligence commanders ended with no results. The meeting was called to renew coordination of security activity and share intelligence regarding terrorist actions, but Palestinian sources called the meeting "a failure."
Despite the above, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, in a series of interviews today, said that Arafat is far from ruled out as a negotiating partner. Excerpts from his interview with Ynet:
"Even if Israel says that we will not conduct talks under fire, it has to be clear that the negotiations can't only be made up of metal bullets. The talks must have political, economic, and psychological aspects. All the talks that I have [with the Palestinians] are with the knowledge of Prime Minister Sharon. I'm not interested in detailing with whom I talk and what exactly is said there, because that is liable to harm the attempts to solve the situation. I will say only that there must be a diplomatic aspect to the negotiations in order to spur the Palestinians to take action."
Speaking with Der Spiegel, Peres criticized the government decision declaring Arafat "irrelevant" as having hurt the chances to reach a ceasefire.
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News Brief: Friday, Dec. 21, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 / Tevet 6, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. HAMAS "ASKS" FOR END TO ATTACKS - BUT NOT IN YESHA 2. ISRAEL REJECTS U.N. CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS 3. MOSLEMS CONTINUE ATTEMPTS TO DE-JUDAIZE TEMPLE MOUNT
1. HAMAS "ASKS" FOR END TO ATTACKS - BUT NOT IN YESHA Hamas will continue its terrorism against Israelis living in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza and its shooting attacks at IDF bases there. Spokesmen for the political branch of Hamas announced today that it had asked its military arm to cease attacks within pre-1967 Israel as well as mortar attacks on Jewish communities in Gush Katif. An example of the practical implications of the announcement occurred in Hevron this afternoon, when two bombs were detonated near an IDF force there; no one was hurt.
Headlines around the world such as "Hamas Calls Off Suicide Bombings" (AP) and "Hamas Vows to End Suicide Attacks" (CNN) left the misleading impression that Hamas had decided upon a total ceasefire - when in fact the Hamas call refers only to pre-1967 Israel, and is not a "decision" but rather a "call" upon Hamas terrorists to cease their attacks.
The Yesha Council demands that Prime Minister Sharon reject any idea of a ceasefire that allows the murder of Yesha residents. The Council expressed confidence that the government would in fact not lend its hand to "immoral discrimination between blood and blood."
Hamas officials said that the decision was made in order to prevent a "civil war" between themselves and forces loyal to Arafat.
Arabs opened fire on IDF soldiers near N'vei Dekalim last night, while terrorists attempted to murder Jewish motorists between Nili and Matityahu in the Modi'in area. No one was hurt. A bomb exploded earlier last night near a Shechem-area army outpost; soldiers opened fire and killed one terrorist.
2. ISRAEL REJECTS U.N. CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected yesterday's UN resolution calling for international observers to be sent to Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Only Israel, the United States, and four Pacific Ocean island states voted against the resolution. The Foreign Ministry called the resolutions "one-sided, hostile and unhelpful," as they divert attention away from the "war against terrorism and pressuring Arafat [in this direction]." Foreign Minister Peres noted that the Mitchell Report stipulates that international observers would not be dispatched unless both parties to the conflict agreed. "Most of the countries who voted for the UN resolution also voted for the Mitchell Report," Peres said.
3. MOSLEMS CONTINUE ATTEMPTS TO DE-JUDAIZE TEMPLE MOUNT The Moslem Waqf renewed its illegal construction works on the Temple Mount this week in a major way. Trucks brought in the materials, earth was moved from the eastern part of the Mount to the northern part, and tiling of a section on the northern part is beginning. The Committee for the Prevention of the Destruction of Temple Mount Antiquities says it has aerial photos from yesterday documenting the progress of the work.
The Committee says the police fabricated a report this week to the effect that the arriving truckloads were for the purpose of repairing an area damaged by a burst pipe. The Committee members met with President Moshe Katzav yesterday, who told them that he is very concerned about the building on the Mount, but that the police tell him that no new works are underway at the holy site. Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein also received information from the Committee, and asked the police for explanations.
In addition, the Committee published a sharp proclamation against Prime Minister Sharon this week, explaining that the Waqf's cleaning of the holy site's underground caverns continues, with the purpose of filling them with "holy water" from Mecca. This will upgrade the status of the Temple Mount in Moslem eyes, giving it a "sanctity" almost as great as that of Mecca. The Prime Minister continues to ignore these facts, states the Committee. Signatories to the proclamation include former Supreme Court Chief Justices Meir Shamgar and Moshe Landau, ex-State Controller Miriam Ben-Porat, former Chief of Staff Dan Shomron, and ex-Mossad chief Yitzchak Hofi.
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To: arutz-7@israelnationalnews.com, arutz-7b@israelnationalnews.com From: Arutz-7 Editor <feedback@israelnationalnews.com> Subject: Arutz-7 News: Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001
Arutz Sheva News Service <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com> Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001 / Tevet 8, 5762 ------------------------------------------------
TODAY'S HEADLINES: 1. IDF SET TO THWART ARAFAT WALK TO BETHLEHEM 2. MINISTERS CALL ON SHARON TO FIRE PERES 3. P.A. UNHAPPY WITH ARAB LEAGUE CONFERENCE
1. IDF SET TO THWART ARAFAT WALK TO BETHLEHEM The Cabinet decided last night, via a telephone vote, to turn down PLO chief Yasser Arafat's request to participate in the Christmas ceremonies in Bethlehem this week. The ministers resolved that only if the PA takes immediate action to arrest terrorists such as the murderers of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, dismantle Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and stop incitement, would he be permitted to leave.
Prime Minister Sharon was against granting Arafat's request, but when he saw that he was in the minority in the three-man mini-security cabinet - Ministers Peres and Ben-Eliezer wanted to let Arafat go - he determined that the decision would be made in the full Cabinet. The Labor party ministers will convene today to discuss their latest defeat within the government. In light of their dwindling public support, their political options are quite limited.
Jordan had prepared a helicopter with which to fly Arafat from Ramallah to Bethlehem. Arafat said that he would not be prevented from fulfilling his desire to take part in the Christian ceremony, and would walk if he had to. It's only about 22 kilometers from Ramallah to Bethlehem, with Jerusalem along the way. IDF forces are preparing for this eventuality, and particularly for a scenario in which a mob of Arabs will accompany Arafat to the Ramah checkpoint, between Ramallah and Jerusalem, hoping to initiate a staged clash with Israeli forces in front of television cameras. The army has sent reinforcements to all checkpoints in the southern Ramallah area.
2. MINISTERS CALL ON SHARON TO FIRE PERES Today, once again, Israel's media featured a diplomatic plan apparently cooked up by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and the PA's Abu Ala. The plan calls for the establishment of a PLO state on the 42% of Yesha that the PA currently controls, after a ceasefire of 6-8 weeks, to be followed by two years of final status negotiations. In response, at least two government ministers - Benny Elon and Tzachi HaNegbi - demand an end to Peres' tenure in the government. Minister Elon told Arutz-7 this morning that the government's policy forbids negotiations with the PA under fire, and that Prime Minister Sharon promised a number of times that the matter of a Palestinian state would be brought before the Cabinet before any negotiations. "Peres is acting against these two principles," Elon said, "and he must therefore be fired." HaNegbi called on Peres to resign of his own accord.
Others say, however, that Sharon is the "guilty" party in this concoction, and that he knew of Peres' talks. MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said, "The right-wing ministers should stop laying the blame on Peres, as Ariel Sharon himself came out in favor of a Palestinian state." Housing Minister Natan Sharansky said, "This new plan is dangerous, and Sharon must stop it at once. If it is implemented, it will be another scene in the Oslo deception process... They're making the same mistake again - trying to turn Arafat from a terrorist into a statesman."
In response to Peres' secret diplomatic plan, and reports that Prime Minister Sharon approved the talks, Sharon's office released an official statement dismissing both out of hand. "The very raising of such a proposal is critically harmful to Israel," the statement said. "The entire government decided that there would be no negotiations with the Palestinian Authority before wanted terrorists and their aides were arrested, illegal weapons were collected, and the terrorist infrastructures were dismantled."
The Yesha Council issued a statement saying that the only way for Sharon to dispel suspicions that he was a party to the plan would be for him to fire Peres.
Women in Green protested in Jerusalem against talk of a PLO state this morning and amassed signatures on petitions in Zion Square. WiG co-founder Nadia Matar said that the organization plans to reach all cities and sites where there have been terrorist attacks and garner support for their cause, "one each week. The public is enthusiastic and supports us. Next week, we will be in Dizengoff Center in Tel Aviv." Twenty-two people were killed in the #5 bus attack on Dizengoff St. in October 1994, and 13 more were murdered by a suicide terrorist there in March 1996.
3. P.A. UNHAPPY WITH ARAB LEAGUE CONFERENCE The Arab League, which convened in Cairo at the end of last week, decided to consider proposals to reinstate the boycott on Israel. Syria went further, demanding that Arab countries break off all relations with Israel. This was the extent of their anti-Israel stance, however, and practical decisions were not made. The PA is understandably upset at the lack of support shown them by their Arab brethren. Its media reported quite negatively on the conference, claiming that the Arab countries caved in to American and British pressure. "Arab support for the Palestinians is getting weaker and weaker," said the PA's Saeb Erekat.
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