Arafat Dead...

[Drake Tungsten]

You post at this board and still wonder if people can identify with cold-blooded murderers?

[lord of the mark]

Jerusalem Post

'The IDF has reduced its activities in the territories to a minimum and is limiting its actions to thwarting "ticking bombs" since Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat flew to France for medical treatment on October 29, a senior government source said Monday.

He was responding to questions as to whether Israel would reciprocate to the announcement that Islamic Jihad and the Aksa Martyrs Brigade would halt all attacks in Israel until the PA's elections on January 9.

"We are not getting involved in this," he said. "What counts are results, not declarations."

He said Israel has already reduced military activity to a minimum, and has "eased up" on targeted assassinations. "The standing orders that have been in effect since Arafat went to France are not to escalate matters and not to create friction. These orders still apply, although we will take selective actions against 'ticking bombs,' " he said.

"Ticking bombs" are terrorists on their way to carrying out attacks.

The reduction in military action is one of the gestures the government has quietly taken over the last few weeks to try to help the emerging PA leadership, the official said. Other gestures include the decision to let Arafat fly to France and the agreement to let him be buried in Ramallah.

Likewise, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told visiting US Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) on Monday that if a new PA leadership emerges that will fight terrorism, then "we will be willing to coordinate a number of different matters with it, especially security and economic matters related to the disengagement plan. This is good for Israel, and good for the Palestinians."

At the same time, Sharon told McConnell – the majority whip who is here as a guest of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to receive an honorary doctorate at the Weizmann Institute of Science – that "Israel will in parallel continue building the security fence."

Sharon said it is important that the PA hold elections, and that Israel "will help as much as it can."

The US has recently let Israel know that it expects the IDF to withdraw as much as possible from PA cities to enable free and unimpeded elections.

Sharon said it appears Israel will allow east Jerusalem Arabs to participate in the elections, although the government's final position on the matter has not yet been formulated.'

[Spiffor]

Israel's cautious attitude in this whole matter is something to be respected Should this caution continue unabated, there is a good chance that Israel doesn't create any problems in the succession.

[Az]

What did you expect? that Israel would start the babymunching, as soon as dear leader arafat isn't there to protect the palestinians?

[Nikolai]

I don't understand why so many people has something against Israel... Good that they don't do something the counterpart can exploit though.

[Pax]

i don't have anything against isreal or her people. I just don't like how the underdog always get labeled the bad guy nowadays.

[Ned]

PAX, if you view the Arabs as the whole of Arabia, which is the way you have to view this matter, the Arabs are hardly the underdog. In a way, its is amazing Israel has survived at all given the power disadvantage she faces.

[notyoueither]

But they don't. I don't recall the reformed Mandela being labeled the bad guy in world opinion. I wasn't around then, but I don't think Ghandi or MLK Jr., were labeled as bad guys in world opinion. But then again, they didn't have anthing to do with civies murdering other civies for their cause. That might have something to do with it.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Ned
PAX, if you view the Arabs as the whole of Arabia, which is the way you have to view this matter, the Arabs are hardly the underdog. In a way, its is amazing Israel has survived at all given the power disadvantage she faces.

I'd have to age with Ned. Look at the population avantage the Arabs have, the economic advatage, the energy production advantage, the advantage in GDP, the advantage, in steel production, the advantage in agricultural output, the advantage in just about everything you can think of. Only a fool would say Israel is the underdog.

Israel likely only survived because they were given access to American, weapons, training, supplies, finance, and foreign Aid. Other wise the Arabs would have killed every Jew in Israel long ago just as they killed or exiled every Jew in every other part of the Middle East. In the whole Arab world Morrocco is the only country which hasn't expelled their Jews.

[The Mad Monk]

Okay folks, more grist for the rumor mill:

'Arafat's death caused by liver disease'
By JOSEPH NASR AND SARI COHEN

Yasser Arafat suffered from cirrhosis – widespread disruption of normal liver structure usually caused by alcohol abuse – although he was "a true water drinker," the French newspaper Le Monde reported Wednesday.

Quoting medical sources familiar with Arafat's medical file, France's most prestigious daily reported that "the most probable scenario is that Arafat's death was due to multiple causes. His coma must have been cause by an aggravation of his hepatic system, in other words his cirrhosis, culminating in a hemorrhage."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1100578394327

The question here is, was this sufficient to cause all the symptoms we saw beforehand, or is it itself another symptom that points to something else?

[Vince278]

Originally posted by Spiffor
there is a good chance that Israel doesn't create any problems in the succession.

One fly in the ointment is that one of the "moderate" frontrunners to replace Arafat is in an Israeli jail for murder. The Palestinians like to see him released as a goodwill gesture but the Israelis are refusing.

[germanos]

Originally posted by Oerdin


In the whole Arab world Morrocco is the only country which hasn't expelled their Jews.

There are jews in Syria, and the star of David is evidently visible on a synagoge and a major community building (I think it was some kind of hospital). I have seen this myself in the old centre of Damascus.

[Vince278]

Originally posted by germanos
There are jews in Syria, and the star of David is evidently visible on a synagoge and a major community building (I think it was some kind of hospital). I have seen this myself in the old centre of Damascus.

Its still there.
There are small communities virtually everywhere in the middle east but to say they are laying low would be a huge understatement.

[Drake Tungsten]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
The question here is, was this sufficient to cause all the symptoms we saw beforehand, or is it itself another symptom that points to something else?

I wonder whAt could've caused thIs man's suDden demiSe?

[germanos]

Originally posted by Vince278


Its still there.
There are small communities virtually everywhere in the middle east but to say they are laying low would be a huge understatement.

I agree. While the jews most undoubtedly have a difficult time in most arab countries, expelling or interment is not common AFAIK. It's a subtle difference, but even those count.

I must say that seeing the star of David in Damascus (IIRC its a whole row of them along the top of the building, just below the roof) was the biggest culture shock I had when staying in Syria. It quite set my worldview upside down


Since this is an Arafat thread, I do want to point out that Palestinians have seen indiscriminate purges from both Jordan and Kuwait. They weren't particularly welcome in Lebanon neither.