Yasser Arafat told the Palestinian parliament Monday that he condemns "every act of terror against Israeli civilians."
"Our national interest is to preserve international support for our legitimate right to resist the military and settlement occupation," Arafat stated.
Arafat extended his condolences to the victims of September 11 attacks and said he was willing to join the US-led war on terror, if it stayed within international law.
"I'd like to tell the whole world and in particular the United States we are fully prepared to participate in any international effort to eradicate that kind of terrorism within the framework of the United Nations and international legitimacy," he said.
However, the Palestinian leader said Israel had used last September's attacks on the United States to portray the Palestinian resistance to occupation as "terrorism." "The Palestinian people stand today firmly against all kinds of terrorism, whether it is by states, groups or individuals," he aired.
"We have to reiterate our condemnation of attacks against Israeli civilians and at the same time to any attacks against Palestinian civilians," he said.
Addressing the Israeli public, Arafat called for new peace negotiations and said: "I would like to say that we want to achieve peace with you. We want security and stability for us and for you... This peace is still ahead of us."
Arafat also said the world expects a clear message from the Palestinian people that they are ready to negotiate peace with Israel and carry out internal reforms.
Arafat pledged presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections would be held at the beginning of January. In an off-the-cuff remark, Arafat said he was ready to relinquish his executive power if the Palestinian Legislative Council wanted him to step down. "If you would like to replace me in the executive powers, I wish you would do it and give me some rest," Arafat said, although the comment was made with a smile.
Seventy-five of the PLC's 86 legislators participated in the session. Forty-seven attended the meeting in Ramallah and 28 took part in the Gaza Strip via a video link.
"We are still suffering from the unjust (Israeli) siege and closures against our people," the legislature's speaker, Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, said in opening remarks.
"The only aim is to paralyze the work and the deliberations of our council," Qurei said about the Israeli edict. He then resigned and was re-elected in a procedural step ahead of Palestinian elections planned for January.
Palestinian reactions
For his part, Hamas leader Ismail Haniya told AFP Arafat's speech "does not live up to the expectations of our people on the security level." "These can only be achieved, in our view, through continued resistance and a general mobilization to face up to the (Israeli) aggression," he said.
"Their security (of Israel) cannot come at the expense of that of our people, who are victims of bombings, destruction and crimes," he added.
And Mustapha Barghuoti, a left-wing Palestinian deputy, said Arafat's speech "contained nothing new, no surprises."
The PLC is to meet again on Tuesday to vote on a confidence motion backing the new PA cabinet. But the acting chief of Arafat's own Fatah movement in the West Bank called for deputies to vote the cabinet down.
"This cabinet has ministers who are trying to prevent the Palestinian people struggling against the occupation, even by throwing stones," said Hussein Sheikh.
Israeli reaction
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's office said Monday that Yasser Arafat is irrelevant and as such his speech, Israel Radio reported.
The statement said Arafat is merely trying to buy time and his plans for elections are just an attempt to consolidate his standing. "As long as the violence, terror and incitement continues there can be no peace process," the statement said.
On his part, Israel's opposition leader Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said that it is possible to see promising signs in Arafat's speech and that he hoped that Arafat would fulfill his commitments and allow for the election of a prime minister. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
