Israel will allow Arafat back if he goes abroad for treatment

[DemFromMem]

Yasser Arafat in serious but stable condition

Israel assured the Palestinian Authority on Thursday that PA Chairman Yasser Arafat will be permitted to return to the West Bank if he needs to go abroad for medical treatment.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had earlier told his Palestinian counterpart Ahmed Qureia that the ailing Arafat would be permitted to be flown abroad for medical treatment. Israel has confined Arafat to his West Bank headquarters for more than two years.

Arafat was expected to be transferred Thursday evening from his Muqata headquarters in Ramallah to a hospital abroad, probably to Amman or Paris. Palestinian sources said Thursday that Arafat was in serious but stable condition.

<snip>

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/494357.html

[Eloriel]

1. Ya know, for my money

it shouldn't even be a question.

Sigh.

[MADem]

2. HE IS GOING TO PARIS

Helo to Jordan, thence to Paris for treatment.

Ya know, they'd BETTER let him back in. Because if they don't, they might want to remember a minor cleric by the name of Ayatullah Khomeini, who, exiled in IRAQ, was kicked out by Saddam in an effort to normalize relations with Iran and settle a border dispute.

That 'minor cleric' got more newsprint inches and TV video than most rock stars of his day, once he got talking and bitching. But as far as French customs was concerned, he was just an old man coming through. Once settled into his apartment, he would not be budged until he boarded an Air France jet to take him in triumph to Merhabad Airport.

They'd better play this right--if Arafat stays in the face of the western press every day, they may be surprised at the unintended consequences. That assumes he is not suffering terminal, rapid course cancer.

[aquart]

3. Good that they rethought that.

[MADem]

5. I am not convinced that they did

They may think they are being clever, and lying to get him out, then they will lower the boom. But unless he dies in France, he will make their lives hell if he lives and is not allowed to return.

Right now, it is a BITCH to get in and out of Palestine. It ain't all that safe, either. Paris, on the other hand, is delightful, it has swell hotels, swell food, swell people--all of the bigwig media hogs who could not be bothered to step over rubble to enter the Arafat compound would be delighted to walk from the Paris Hilton to Arafat's digs for an interview. The Blitzers, Brokaws, Jennings's, and Rathers will be tripping over each other to get that first interview. He'll get more coverage than the goddamn Red Sox, and for a longer period of time.

If he lives, this could be a turning point for the whole Palestine-Israel issue.

[Scurrilous]

4. Arafat to be hospitalized in Paris

http://www.maarivintl.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&articleID=11440

Doctors decide he should be rushed to French hospital as soon as possible, will leave later tonight. Israel agrees to allow him to return if he recovers, but rejects request to bury him on Temple Mount

<snip>

"PA chairman Yasser Arafat will be leaving Ramallah for medical treatment in Paris. This was decisded a short time ago by the doctors treating him in the Muq'ata (Presidential Compound) in Ramallah. He is expected to depart for Paris later this evening.

Earlier the medical team had been debating whether to fly him to Paris, or to either Amman or Cairo, which are much closer. The hesitation regarding Paris were uncertainty as to whether he would survive the five hour flight, but apparently it was decided that his condition mandated getting him to a western medical facility.

Earlier today PA premier Abu Ala spoke to PM Sharon, who assured him that Arafat would be allowed to return if he recovers.

Israel rejected a Palestinian request to allow Arafat to be buried on the Temple Mount. The request itself could be a sign that he is not expected to recover."