UN Security Council warns Israel against removing Arafat

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations Security Council's 15 member-nations warned Israel late on Friday against carrying out a decision to remove Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

"Council members expressed the view that the removal of Mr Arafat would be unhelpful and should not be implemented," said a statement read to reporters by Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of Britain, the council president for September.

The statement was approved during a closed-door emergency session convened at the request of Arab states and the 116 members of the Non-Aligned Movement at the United Nations.

Diplomats said council members decided to take no action, for now, on a draft resolution circulated by Palestinian UN envoy Nasser al-Kidwa, demanding that Israel do nothing to harm or deport Arafat, the Palestinian Authority president.

Instead, the council set a public meeting for Monday on the crisis in the region.

The Palestinian draft would express "grave concern at the tragic and violent events" taking place in the Middle East and demand that "Israel, the occupying power, desist from any act of deportation and to cease any threat to the safety of the elected president of the Palestinian Authority."

Al-Kidwa had said at the start of the council meeting that he wanted an immediate vote on the resolution.

But Jones Parry said the text had never been formally introduced. Western diplomats had predicted that too hard a Palestinian push might backfire and lead to defeat or a veto by the United States, Israel's closest ally.

Israel has triggered an international outcry over its decision to "remove" Arafat, a threat that drew tens of thousands of Palestinians to rally to his defence.

Calling Arafat an obstacle to peace after two suicide bombings killed 15 Israelis on Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet had vowed on Thursday to get rid of him "in a manner that will be determined separately."

The wording left open options that could include killing him or expelling him from the Palestinian territories.

- REUTERS