RAMALLAH Ñ Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat continues to be urged to form what is being termed a national unity government.

Arafat is being pressed by Palestinian legislators and Fatah leaders to expand his current Cabinet to include members of the Islamic opposition Hamas and Islamic Jihad parties. So far, Arafat has not acted on the recommendations.

"It has come time to establish a national unity government that would include Hamas and other Palestinian nationalist groups to participate in political decisions," Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti said.

The appeals come as Arafat has warned that he could be killed by Palestinians if he agrees to a ceasefire with Israel. Arafat has been under criticism by Fatah and opposition leaders of failing to halt Israel's successes in assassinating or arresting insurgents.

At least one minister, Ziyad Abu Ziyad, has called for the Palestinians to accept a ceasefire with Israel. Abu Ziyad also warned that the Palestinians would end up being dominated by Hamas.

"I think there is more support and popularity for Hamas and Jihad," Abu Ziyad said. "I don't think there is any danger to Arafat's rule."

Israeli leaders have assured Arafat that they will protect the Palestinian leader. "Abu Amar, I guarantee your safety," Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, referring to Arafat by his nomme-de-guerre, said. "Nobody will hurt you. We want you to continue leading your people in the direction of peace."

Palestinian sources said Arafat has been alarmed by what he believes is the declining support by Egypt. Cairo is said to have increased coordination with Israel to reduce smuggling of weapons and insurgents from the Sinai peninsula into the Gaza Strip.

The border area of Rafah has been the scene of the heaviest fighting in the Israeli-Palestinian war. Israel has been trying to dig a huge trench to uncover and destroy the tunnels used to transport the weapons and fighters.

Print this Article

Email this article

Free Headline Alerts