Blatant violations of the accords; sayings of Chairman Arafat in 1998

Communicated by the Israel Government Press Office, December 2, 1998

Speaking in Washington this week, Chairman Arafat again violated the Oslo
1, Oslo 2, Hebron and Wye Accords by announcing his intention to
unilaterally declare a Palestinian state in May 1999.

This is consistent with Mr. Arafat’s record of blatant violations of the
accords with Israel. He threatens Israel with violence, invokes the PLO’s
Phased Plan for Israel’s destruction, glorifies terrorists, incites against Israel
and likens the accords to a temporary truce.

Following are selected examples of Arafat’s remarks in the past year:

Arafat Threatens Violence Against Israel

Addressing a rally in Ramallah, November 15, 1998 (Al-Ayyam,
November 16,
1998):

“Our rifles are ready and we are ready to raise them again if anyone tries
to prevent us from praying in holy Jerusalem… There are agreements and
they better be carried out, because the ‘generals of the stones’ are ready…”
Interview with the Algerian newspaper Sawt al-Ahrar on August 1,
1998:

“The Palestinian Authority has taken steps to actively struggle against the
Israeli Judaization scheme… The Palestinian Authority is ready to restart
the intifada in order to stop the assault on the Arab character of
Jerusalem.”
Speech to the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s Jerusalem
Committee in Morocco on July 29, 1998 (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, July 30,
1998)

“The Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing has taken on the ugliest of forms in
recent months… Israel has started the war over Jerusalem… but with Arab
and Islamic assistance, this shall be our faithful jihad (holy war) – to defend
holy Jerusalem from the danger of Judaization and the Zionist plot.”
Speech broadcast on official Palestinian Television, July 1, 1998:
“The battle for Jerusalem is a battle of life or death, life or death, life or
death.”
Leading Palestinian marchers in a chant, broadcast on official
Palestinian television on May 14, 1998:

“With our soul and blood we will redeem you O Palestine!”
Message marking the tenth anniversary of the slaying of PLO leader
Abu Jihad, chief of terrorist operations against Israel, published in the
official PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, April 16, 1998:

“My colleagues in struggle and in arms, my colleagues in struggle and in
jihad … Intensify the revolution and the blessed intifada.
Reinforce the strong stance and strengthen the faith. We must burn the
ground under the feet of the invaders.”
Interview on Egyptian Orbit TV, April 18, 1998:
“Question: If a violent incident occurs, Netanyahu will exploit it and say
that it is for this reason that he is not hurrying to make an agreement with
the Palestinians, since they are incapable of controlling the situation.

Arafat: I know his tricks. Everyone must know that all options are
open before the Palestinian people, and not just the Palestinian people, but
before the entire Arab nation.

Question: Eight or nine years.
Arafat: Or twenty years. I say that all options are open before the
Palestinian people. The Israelis are troubled by this phrase, but I ask them:
“Why are you troubled by this phrase? Is it because you do not wish to
implement the agreements?”.

Question: If your rival, and I don’t want to say enemy, will not respect the
accord, what will you do?

Arafat: We will cross that bridge when we come to it. As I said, all
options are open before the Palestinian people.

Question: Is Arafat still the same revolutionary fighter? Is he capable of
taking to the streets when necessary?

Arafat: This nation of giants has created 100,000 Arafats. We are a
nation of giants which has been struggling with World Zionism for 101
years, and we are capable of beginning it all again. I say this not in the
name of Arafat but in the name of the new generals.

Question: There are Western observers who say that something must
happen on the ground for things to start moving. Do you think that
something must happen on the street, or is it enough to have effective
American pressure?

Arafat: The only answer which you will get from me is that all
options are open before the Palestinian people.

Arafat Likens Accords With Israel to a Temporary
Truce

Chairman Arafat frequently compares the accords with Israel to the
Khudaibiya agreement made by the prophet Muhammad with the Arabian
tribe of Koreish. The pact, slated to last for ten years, was broken within
two years, when the Islamic forces – having used the peace pact to
become stronger – defeated the Koreish tribe. Comparing agreements with
Israel to the Khudaibiya pact is tantamount to stating that they are
temporary arrangements.

Address to a rally in Ramallah broadcast on official Palestinian
Television, November 15, 1998:

“We chose the peace of the brave out of faith in the prophet, in the
Khudaibiya agreement.”
Newspaper interview, Al-Quds, May 10, 1998:
Question: Do you feel sometimes that you made a mistake in agreeing to
Oslo?
Arafat: No… no. Allah’s messenger Mohammed accepted the al-Khudaibiya
peace treaty and Salah a-Din accepted the peace agreement with Richard
the Lion-Hearted.
Interview on Egyptian Orbit TV, April 18, 1998:
Question: How do you explain that you occasionally ask the Palestinian
street not to explode?

Arafat: When the prophet Muhammad made the Khudaibiya
agreement, he agreed to remove his title ‘messenger of Allah’ from the
agreement. Then, Omar bin Khatib and the others referred to this
agreement as the ‘inferior peace agreement.’ Of course, I do not compare
myself to the prophet, but I do say that we must learn from his steps and
those of Salah a-Din. The peace agreement which we signed is an ‘inferior
peace’. The conditions are the intifada, which lasted for seven
years.

Question: For practical reasons, do you now suggest to maintain quiet
despite everything?

Arafat: Yes, I suggest we maintain quiet. We respect agreements
the way that the prophet Muhammad and Salah a-Din respected the
agreements which they signed.

Arafat Invokes the Phased Plan for Israel’s Destruction

Chairman Arafat habitually invokes the June 8, 1974 resolution of the
Palestinian National Council , known as the ‘Phased Plan’ for Israel’s
destruction. The decision contains two key elements: first, to create a
Palestinian state on any territory vacated by Israel (paragraph 2); and
second, to use that state as a base for mobilizing a general Arab assault on
Israel (paragraph 8 of the resolution).]

Interview on Egyptian Orbit TV, April 18, 1998:
Question: Were you under pressure from the Arab states then?

Arafat: No. In 1974, at the Palestinian National Council meeting in
Cairo, we passed the decision to establish national Palestinian rule over
any part of the land of Palestine which is liberated.
Interview, Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, on the occasion of Fatah day,
January 1, 1998:

Question: Have we made a mistake by entering the battle over a
settlement, starting with Madrid, through Washington and until Oslo?

Arafat: Since the decision of the Palestinian National Council at its
12th meeting in 1974 ,
the PLO has adopted the political solution of establishing a National
Authority over any territory from which the occupation withdraws. At
other PNC meetings we developed this position, until the one held in
Algiers in 1988, in which the declaration of independence and the peace
initiative were ratified…

Arafat Glorifies Terrorists

Interview on Egyptian Orbit TV, April 18, 1998:
Question: Does your position permit you to work without interruption, as
you are wont to do?

Arafat: Without a doubt. I would also like to say that I envy the
martyrs and I hope to become one of them, though it has been decreed
thus far that I continue to live.
Message to the Palestinians marking the 10th anniversary of the
slaying of PLO leader Abu Jihad, chief of terrorist operations against Israel,
published in the official PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, April 16,
1998:

“The blood of the martyr is never spilled in vain! We say with complete
faith, loudly and clearly, that the song of the martyrs is etched in the path
of Palestine, and their pure blood is upon our necks….”
Speech broadcast on official Palestinian Television referring to Yihya
Ayyash, Hamas bombmaker responsible for the deaths of more than 50
Israelis, January 19, 1998:

“We are all candidates for holy martyrdom. Candidates for holy martyrdom.
In memory of the noble and brave holy martyrs Abu Iyad, Abu Al-Hol, Abu
Muhammad, and before them Abu Jihad and before them Yihya Ayyash
and after them, Yihya Ayyash.”

Arafat Incites Against Israel

Speech to the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s Jerusalem
Committee in Morocco on July 29, 1998 (Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, July 30,
1998)

“We shall continue… to save holy Jerusalem from the Judaizing monster
and the despised settlements… they are determined to destroy
the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount and to
replace them by building Solomon’s Temple….”
Interview with Al-Jezira television, June 28, 1998:
Question: What will you do, or what have you done, to prevent him from implementing the Jerusalem plan?

Arafat: Let me tell you something. The issue of Jerusalem is not just
a Palestinian issue. It is a Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and Christian issue.

Question: Can one also say that it is Jewish?
Arafat: No. Allow me to be precise – they consider Hebron to be holier than
Jerusalem.

Question: More than the Western Wall?

Arafat: More than the Western Wall… until now, all the excavations
that have been carried out have failed to prove the location of the Temple.
It is 30 years since they captured the city and they have not
succeeded in even giving one proof as to the location of the Temple.

Question: For the sake of Jerusalem and the problem …

Arafat: For the sake of Jerusalem, we have received very, very little
. We are tightening our belts to save money for the struggle
against this Satan, the Satan of money, the Satan of influence, the Satan
of discord, the Satan of the robbery which the Government of Israel is
attempting to commit.

Arafat Threatens to Unilaterally Declare a Palestinian State in
1999 with Jerusalem as its Capital.

Addressing the Arab-American Institute in Washington, November
29, 1998:

“On the 4th of May, 1999, the interim period will end. And we should by
that time be prepared to declare our independent Palestinian state. And its
capital, Jerusalem, the Holy City… Holy Jerusalem is going to be the
capital of our state, but western Jerusalem could be the capital of
Israel….”
Address to a rally in Ramallah broadcast on official Palestinian
television, November 15, 1998:

“For a hundred years we have faced this enormous global power and our people are still steadfast in Jerusalem. Yes, we will
establish a state on May 4, 1999.”
Addressing a rally in Nablus, November 14, 1998:
“We will declare our independent state on May 4, 1999 with Jerusalem as
its capital, yes Jerusalem, the eternal capital of our state, whether they like
it or not. Now we are on our land and we are regaining this holy land inch
by inch until we set up our state in 1999.”