The Situation

The theoretical threat

Friday, September 12, 2003

Digital image by Robert Rosenberg

The security cabinet's decision last night saying that because Yasser Arafat is an obstacle to peace, he can be 'removed' - and ordering the army to prepare plans for such an eventuality - was so predictable in its outcome that if not for the seriousness of the situation, it would be laughable. Arafat and his Fateh movement, which were losing popularity by the hour in the territories as Israel and the Hamas traded blows, were suddenly stars again, with thousands of Palestinians going to the Muqata to 'protect' him from the Israelis.

As if frightened by their own decision Israeli government sources said the decision was more of a message to Arafat and the Palestinian Authority than something being set into motion as an operation this weekend. IDF sources, apparently close to Sayeret Matkal, meanwhile leaked there have been plans for more than two years to grab Arafat and hustle him out of the country - but they warned that it would involve a fight and they could not guarantee the PA Chairman's safety.

Some government hardliners, like the Likud's Limor Livnat and the National Religious Party's Effi Eitam, went further than proposing expulsion. On Israel Radio, Livnat said there was nothing more moral that the decision 'particularly as it comes on September 11,' and hinted that she would not mind if Arafat were killed in the expulsion operation.

Eitam said 'of the three alternatives - expulsion, assassination or putting Arafat on trial for war crimes,' he'd prefer the trial, but 'wouldn't shed a tear over the other two.' Then he added, he'd also 'send all the others who came here from Tunis, all 25,000 of them, back there. That would not be transfer because we brought them here,' he explained.

Opposition MK Avraham Burg of Labor called the government decision 'childish,' since it would be impossible to implement, and was made as an emotional response to the two bombings this week.

Proponents of the Arafat expulsion say Israel has the right to treat Arafat as the Americans treat Osaa bin Laden or Saddam Hussein. Livnat called U.S. opposition to an expulsion 'the well-known double standard.' Opponents said at best it was theoretical as a decision, and at worst, it was made with no consideration of the ramifications.

Back as the most relevant man in the world, Arafat meanwhile was meeting with his security chiefs at the Muqata -- but Gen. Nasser Yusuf, tipped as the next Interior Minster in Ahmed Qurei's government and Mohammed Dahlan were not attending.

According to Israel Radio this morning, Yusuf lost his temper with Arafat last night, with the Israeli state radio quoting Yusuf as saying 'every revolution in the world has succeeded except ours, and it's because of you,' and Arafat, said the radio, 'spat' at Yusuf as the Palestinian general left the meeting. The reason for the dispute was the same as the issue that plagued the Abu Mazin government - Arafat's refusal to give up his control over the security apparatus in the territories.

In any case, Querei' is saying that he is rethinking his intention to form a government, in light of the Israeli decision, which has been condemned from Washington, which called it 'unhelpful,' to the EU, China, Russia, Australia, Canada, and of course throughout the Arab world.

The seriousness of what was decided last night is the way it hands over the decision to expel Arafat to the next suicide bomber who manages to get through the constant sate of high alert now on in all the country's major cities and along the so-called 'seam line,' meaning the area along and east of the Green Line, where some 90-95 percent of the settlers live, including the Jerusalem area.

Sharon won't give the order until there's a green light from Washington, which is not likely in the immediate future - unless there is indeed a major 'mega-style' terror attack in Israel.

But Sharon will also work to persuade the Americans to allow the move. Next week Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, a key proponent of either expelling or killing Arafat, will be in Washington for high-level meetings with Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, and Cheney, just short of President Bush. As of now, Mofaz's agenda is almost entirely Arafat's expulsion.

The Other Israel

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