(AP/Ha'aretz) Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad - Major General Amos Gilad, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, told journalists and diplomats at a briefing at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs' Institute for Contemporary Affairs, founded jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation: Saddam Hussein is a strong backer of the Palestinian cause and is a symbol to tyrants like Yasser Arafat and others. If Saddam collapses, it will create an earthquake in this region and would accelerate deterioration in support for Arafat even among his closest allies. The fall of Saddam Hussein is likely to bring about the fall of Yasser Arafat as well. There is no way there will be coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians under Arafat's leadership. Arafat sponsors terror, believing he can weaken Israel and win more concessions. His passing from the scene would help Israel and the Palestinians to return to peace talks. In the 1991 Gulf War, Arafat sided with Saddam, a position that left the Palestinians weakened after Iraq's resounding defeat, forcing them to scale back their expectations. A second U.S. attack that ousted Saddam would result in the Palestinians reducing some of their demands. In the recent fighting, Israel took over parts of the West Bank and imposed curfews in many areas in an effort to diminish terror, not to stop it. Israel hopes to lift the curfews and leave the areas as soon as possible in order to alleviate Palestinian suffering.
2002-10-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive