U.S., France Pressure PA Not to Seek International Inquiry into Possible Arafat Murder

'China’s Xinhua news agency reports that Palestinian officials told it that the PA has come under serious pressure from the U.S. and France not to seek an international tribunal to investigate the possible murder of Yasser Arafat:

The Palestinians’ efforts to launch an international probe into the 2004 death of ex-leader Yasser Arafat face serious obstacles, a Palestinian official said Tuesday. The obstacles stem from the opposition by some countries including the United States and France, the official said on condition of anonymity. The United States has put pressure on the Palestinian leadership not to seek such an investigation because it can lead to some negative consequences on the Middle East peace process…

 

Of course it will. If Israel is discovered to have killed Arafat, it will make it look like an utter ass and further alienate Palestinians (and the world) from Israel. So what the U.S. is saying essentially is that Arafat’s murder is water under the bridge and it’s far more important to negotiate a peace deal than dwell on the past. This. of course ignores the critical importance of justice and accountability in resolving this conflict.'

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