Nazir Majally, Asharq Al-Awsat

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 13 September 2003 — Saudi Arabia yesterday led a chorus of worldwide protests over Israel’s decision to exile Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

“The decision constitutes a dangerous Israeli escalation of the regional situation and a violation of international law and UN resolutions,” an official spokesman said. The Kingdom urged the quartet states as well as the international community to take quick and decisive steps to force Israel into revising the decision and save international peace efforts from failing.

Arafat’s expulsion will have “disastrous consequences across the region and further afield,” Arab League spokesman Hisham Yussef said in Cairo. “It would herald the death of all efforts to bring about peace.”

Jordanian Information Minister Nabil Sharif said it would be a “serious error that could put the region on the threshold of an uncertain future,” warning it “seriously threatens the peace process.”

Yemen said: “The reckless and extremist Israeli decision will have dire consequences.” The Yemeni government urged the international community, mainly the United States, to “intervene promptly to prevent the Israeli government from carrying out its threats against the Palestinian leader” and press it to sue for a “just and comprehensive peace.”

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said “it would be unwise to expel Arafat” and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council also unanimously opposed the move.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said expulsion would be a “serious political mistake with the most negative consequences.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Arafat was “the legitimate leader elected by the Palestinian people through elections” and expelling him would escalate tensions.

The European Commission — the European Union’s executive arm — said Arafat’s removal would be “terrible mistake.” A spokesman said the Commission would continue to maintain contacts with “the democratically elected president of the Palestinian Authority.” Speaking on behalf of the 15-nation EU, Italian Foreign Minister Francesco Frattini urged Israeli to drop any plans to oust Arafat, saying this would stand in the way of the road map.

Right-wing Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, apparently reacting to the Jerusalem Post’s call for Arafat’s assassination, said: “Acts of terrorism cannot be combated through a policy of selective assassinations, which does not help matters.”

And a German Foreign Ministry spokesman commented: “It is not the best way to stabilize an already tense situation.”

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: “We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli government that the expulsion of Chairman Arafat would be wrong. I urge Israel not to allow justified anger at the continuing violence to lead to actions that will undermine both the peace process and Israel’s own interests.”

Turkey said ousting Arafat would damage “the very roots of peace in the region.”

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said throwing Arafat out would “create new tensions and probably new mishaps.”

Even a former Israeli foreign minister, Schlomo Ben Ami, warned that expelling Arafat “would be counter-productive and would lead nowhere.” He told Spanish radio SER: “Israelis are deluding themselves if they think that by changing (Palestinian) leaders they will change the price of peace.”