Arafat has made it clear in no uncertain terms that after his death he wants to be buried in Jerusalem. The Israeli leaders as of now have said no way. Gaza or the West Bank can be arranged but not Jerusalem.
Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians may be greatly affected by Israel’s final response.
I believe that allowing a terrorist like Arafat to have his wishes would be sacriligious to all those Israelis and their families who were killed or maimed as a result of Arafat’s Palestinian leadership.
i was listening to Michael Savage last night (just for kicks, love to hear what he’s incoherently ranting about ) and one of his callers had a good idea
strap him in a wheelchair, sail out to the location of the Achille Lauro (SP?) put a bullet in his head and push him overboard
i don’t understand all this “reverence” for a terrorist, at least Khadaffi (supposedly) has changed his ways for the better (i’m still cynical though)
What I heard was that he not only wants to be buried in Jeruselem, but on the Temple Mount!! If true, I can’t imagine that Israel would agree.
The borders of at least part of the Palestinians state have been worked out. Burying the man who will no doubt be regarded as the founder of that state outside those borders would only lead to trouble. Put him in Gaza.
So all they need to do to have peace in the Middle East is bury Arafat where he wants to be buried? Or would it just be an excuse for more violence if he isn’t buried in the right place? There will be violence regardless of what happens; the only thing that will change is the excuse that will be used to justify it.
The CIA World Factbook gives the population of the Gaza Strip as 1,324,991 and the population of the West Bank as 2,311,304. Arafat’s personal assets have been valued at around USD 1 billion. This is enough to distribute roughly USD1000 to each Palestinian family, if the assets can be liquidated. Will this be done? Or could it be that the quality of life of the people in the Occupied Territories is less important than the political and religious struggle in which they have been made to take part? (If someone would like to claim that this struggle is justified because these people’s homeland has been seized and occupied, please explain why there are no refugee camps on the German-Polish border where people have waited since 1945, still clutching deeds and house keys, to return to seized and occupied homes in East Prussia.)
Rune: His birth certificate says he was born in Cairo, but he has always insisted he was born in Jerusalem. Others say he was born in the Gaza Strip. His biography at the Nobel website says that his birthplace is disputed and his Wikipedia entry elaborates somewhat. I’d suggest reading his Nobel lecture, too; it’s really rather hopeful and willing to compromise compared to, for example, “Let [the Palestinian Authority]collapse, it will be the fault of Israel and the Americans,” from this February.
Good point. And, if Israel is gracious and allows him to be buried in Jerusalem, this would be an olive branch to the Arabs. Seems worthwhile in exchange for a small plot of Earth.
Or would it be an excuse for Palestinians to demand that the burial place of their founder be inside their borders? That seems more likely to me - to create yet another claim on Jerusalem.
I say bury him in Gaza, but hold out the possibility for his body to be relocated to Jerusalem AFTER a Palestinian state has been created and has proven itself to be a partner in peace.
May I answer : “I don’t care”? I favor him being buried in the place that will cause the less turmoil, and as a result, bloodshed. Which place would it be? I’ve no clue.
Actually, letting him have a burial in Jerusalem will force the IDF to guard the site day and night from family members of people killed in terrorist attacks, because I bet a lot of them will happily defile it.
Actually, it seems there are already a number of tombs of famous Palestinians on the temple mount, and that would be the place where they would want to bury him. I’ve watched these tombs on TV, they’re like small fenced chapels, apparently right besides the mosque.
How is it sacriligious to bury him in Jerusalem? What the hell does “sacriligous” even mean?
It’s a dead body buried in the dirt with millions of other dead bodies.
The Israelis need to grow up and stop pretending that any little slight is the outrage of the century. Buring Arafat in Jerusalem is not going to kill anybody. I hope they plant him on the freaking Temple Mount.
Your comment above suggests a total lack of emotion or feeling.
Here you have a terrorist who refused to compromise to a peace plan…a man who supported constant attacks with “suicide” bombers…a man who symbolizes evil. Though his remains in reality consist of calcium, potassium, water and other similar ingredients, to allow this monster to be buried in Jerusalem is a symbolic middle finger at the whole Jewish nation.
Here you have a man that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, along with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin. A compelling argument could be made that Peres and Rabin score at least as high on the evilometer as Arafat.
You must admit it will make it more convenient were someone to want to dance the Hora on his grave, though.
Really, it IS just “calcium, potassium, water and other similar ingredients.” Take comfort that his soul, the important part, will be where it belongs. The sooner the better, too. In my imagining of Hell he will finally see, truly SEE and UNDERSTAND, the evil he has wrought. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy, either.
) and one of his callers had a good idea