Israel’s security cabinet has declared its intention to “remove” Yasser Arafat, an act that has put the chairman of the Palestinian Authority back in the spotlight, center stage. And he is in the role that he has played for many years: a besieged leader standing in defiance.
The language of the Israeli pronouncement is vague, but its message is clear. Yasser Arafat is “an absolute obstacle” that “Israel will act to remove.” The implication is that this could be by expulsion, jail, or possibly death. The immediate reaction of the United States was muted. Ousting Arafat would “not be helpful;” it would “only give him another stage to play on.” Arafat’s fate, America’s response, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a new crisis point.
Guests:
Ambassador Dennis Ross, Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Ben Lynfield, Jerusalem based reporter for the Christian Science Monitor and the Scotsman
Uzi Landau, Israeli cabinet minister
Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem