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Arafat slams U.S. for vetoing East Jerusalem resolution

protest March 8, 1997
Web posted at: 2:43 p.m. EST (1943 GMT)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (CNN) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned the United States Saturday for vetoing a U.N. resolution calling for Israel to abandon plans to build a Jewish neighborhood in disputed East Jerusalem.

"It is a completely wrong decision," Arafat said, referring to the U.S. action.

The United States cast the only "no" vote Friday night when the U.N. Security Council took up a European-sponsored resolution asking Israel to "refrain from all actions or measures" that "alter the facts on the ground" or prejudice future talks on the status of Jerusalem.

Because the United States is one of five permanent members of the council, its veto killed the resolution sponsored by its allies Britain, France, Sweden and Portugal.

Arafat made his comments after meeting with Jordanian Prime Minister Abdul-Karim Kabariti, who hinted the veto could jeopardize the U.S. role as mediator in the Middle East.

"It really calls for ... new American efforts to prove that this veto does not mean some backtracking of the original position of the American administration," Kabariti said.

Palestinian Cabinet Member Yasser Abd-Abbo was even more critical of the United States, saying the veto "proved" Washington could not be "an honest broker" in the peace process. icon (222 K / 20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Israel plans to build 6,500 homes at a site called Har Homa by Israel and Jabal Abu Ghneim by the Palestinians. The disputed region is primarily Arab, and Palestinians consider plans to build on the land a violation of Israeli-Palestinian peace accords. The Palestinians want to establish East Jerusalem as the capital of a sought-after Palestinian state.

Palestinian students in Gaza took to the streets in protest Saturday. "Jerusalem is ours," they chanted. "It's either us or you on that land." Hundreds of Israeli peace activists in the West Bank also held rallies, urging their country to abolish plans to build the housing.

But U.S. ambassador Bill Richardson defended the decision, saying the Security Council was "not an appropriate forum for debating the issues between the parties."

Freddy Eytan, an Israeli Foreign Ministry senior adviser, welcomed the veto but lashed out at the European nations that drafted the resolution. icon (217 K / 20 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Dispute over West Bank handover

Arafat said he would consult with King Hussein in Jordan later Saturday about a unilateral Israeli decision on Friday to hand over 9 percent of the West Bank in the first of three phased pullbacks under the U.S.-backed accords.

The Palestinian leader called the decision "a trick and conspiracy," saying the peace agreements call for the transfer of 30 percent of the land during each withdrawal. He said he would seek the king's advice and "see how he is going to help us overcome this obstacle."

Under the peace agreement, the pullback would conclude by mid-1998. The size of each withdrawal is not well-defined.

The Palestinians have said they expect to be in control of most of the West Bank by the third stage, while Israeli leaders say they expect to remain in control of half of the West Bank at that time.

Final borders will be set in talks on a permanent peace agreement set to begin this month and conclude by May 1999.

Correspondent Jerrold Kessel and Reuters contributed to this report.

 
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