Arafada?
Arafat's Palestinian critics directly
challenge his leadership.
GIL SEDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jerusalem
1111
Saturday to kick off millennium festiv-
ities in Bethlehem, he did not address
the crowd, apparently finding it prefer-
able to downplay the significance of
recent events.
Israeli officials, too, saw fit to avoid a
public reaction to the leaflet. They pre-
fer to conduct negotiations with Arafat
than with some unknown quantity.
The dissent that erupted against
Arafat's regime highlights a significant
problem facing Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Barak.
He is trying to conclude a final-sta
tus accord with Arafat and to revive
negotiations with Syrian President
Hafez Assad. Both leaders, however,
are nearing the end of their political
careers. If either career were to end —
of natural or other causes — it could
create a big question mark over the
future of the respective negotiations.
ouawiya al-Masri was
returning to his home
in the West Bank town
of Nablus when three
gunmen attacked him.
Luckily, Masri was only lightly
wounded in the foot in the Dec. 1
incident — but he learned the hard
way that one should think twice
before publicly attacking the
Palestinian leadership.
A Palestinian legislator, Masri was
one of 20 leading Palestinian intellec-
tuals and political figures who had
signed a leaflet that sharply criticized
the Palestinian Authority.
The leaflet's harsh language — par-
ticularly its blunt accusation that
Yasser Arafat had
"opened the door to
corruption" IA rithin the
self-rule government
— infuriated the
Palestinian Authority
president.
Within 24 hours,
nearly half of the sig-
natories were detained
at police stations or
put under house
arrest.
Among those
arrested were several
popular personalities,
including Bassam
Injured Palestinian lawmaker Mouawiya al-Masri,
Shaka, the former
center, surrounded by supporters, arrives
Nablus mayor who
at the hospital in Nablus on Dec. 1.
was the victim of a
suspected Israeli attack that left him
The leaflet, "Cry of the Homeland,"
permanently disabled, and Ramallah-
criticized the Palestinian Authority for
based author Ahmad Qattamesh, who
having failed to deliver on a number of
is believed to have spent more time in
key promises: creating a Palestinian state
Israeli administrative detention than
with Jerusalem as its capital, securing
any other Palestinian.
the return of Palestinian refugees, get-
Arafat reacted strongly, analysts
ting Israel to agree to dismantle Jewish
here said, because he is currently more
settlements, obtaining the release of
concerned with solidifying his rule
prisoners from Israeli jails and creating
than with burnishing his image as a
an improved economic climate.
democratic leader. With Israel and the
But the critics went a step further,
Palestinian Authority finally negotiat-
charging that the Palestinian leader-
ing a final peace agreement after years
ship was guilty of following "a system-
of delay, the attack on him came at a
atic methodology of corruption,
particularly delicate time.
humiliation and abuse against the
When Arafat lit a Christmas tree
people."
WHERE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE!
248.855.8747
eau.* Eaw
Call today for your free
in-home consultation
Formerly of The Closet Company, Inc.
',QMME:M.4M:..:MRNMEML.::MEMMMM:kena.ft:CqQEEM
LEARNING
DISABILITIES
CLINIC
Tbstin /Evaluation
k;
♦
Therapeutic
•,a • sk
`vt"
LYNNE MAS'FER MEd
4 '44tfta
Ortmet', Direct-dr.
\AL* Nk owt-', **THE STAR IS BACK!!**
Paul Milgrim — Star Sales Consultant
* Personal Service * Over 20 Years Experience
Largest Inventory
In the Midwest
\\k:
ESTATE MOTORS • 36600 Woodward Ave.
Bloomfield Hills • (248) 644-8400
12/10
1999
27