Yasser Arafat vowed Sunday to defy an Israeli order barring him from Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem, declaring he would make his annual pilgrimage to Jesus' birthplace even if he has to walk to the stone plaza in Manger Square.
Arafat and the Israelis appeared headed for a showdown Monday evening that seemed to capture the convoluted nature of the conflict: the Jewish state banned Arafat, a Muslim, from attending a Christian religious service in a town that is under Arafat's control.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Security Cabinet voted 8-6 to slap the restriction on Arafat, saying he had failed to "dismantle Palestinian terror groups or stop terror attacks against Israel."
Arafat, who has effectively been confined to the West Bank town of Ramallah in recent weeks, said, "no one has the right to prevent us from fulfilling our duty to God, despite all kinds of weapons and M-16s that (the Israelis) have."
In Bethlehem, several hundred Palestinians held a candlelight rally in front of the Church of the Nativity, protesting the Israeli ban on Arafat's visit. Some of the demonstrators carried posters bearing pictures of Arafat, more of the posters were hung at the entrance to the church itself, which marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus.
Ramallah and Bethlehem are only 12 miles apart. Arafat said he was prepared to make the journey on foot an unlikely trip that would take him past Israeli tanks and troops blocking the roads leading in and out of both towns.
There were indications, however, of ongoing contacts involving Western diplomats in an attempt to work out a compromise.
Arafat has attended Christmas Eve festivities in Bethlehem every year since 1995, when the town was turned over to the Palestinian Authority, which Arafat heads.
The Mideast fighting has dealt a crushing blow to Bethlehem, where the 30,000 Palestinian residents are roughly half-Muslim and half-Christian. The town, just south of Jerusalem, is heavily dependent on Christian tourists from around the world.
The pilgrims stayed home last Christmas due to the turmoil. Israeli forces entered Bethlehem for 10 days in October in pursuit of Palestinian militants, and maintain heavily armed checkpoints at the town's edge.
A small turnout was expected Monday night for a midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity on Manger Square, the traditional site of Jesus' birth.
Bethlehem's Mayor Hanna Nasser said if Arafat was not allowed to attend, he would boycott the service "in protest against the irresponsible and stupid Israeli measures."
Dissenters in Sharon's divided Cabinet were also openly critical of the decision.
"This is a silly, inflammatory and unjustified decision," said Industry and Trade Minister Dalia Itzik of the moderate Labor party.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who was also among the dissenters, announced the easing of security restrictions in Bethlehem over the next few days "to allow the freedom of worship for different ethnic groups among Christians in the region."
Arafat has been marooned at his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah since an Israeli air strike destroyed his helicopters on Dec. 3. Israeli subsequently tightened the cordon around Palestinian towns. The Israeli moves came in response to deadly series of Palestinian attacks.
A week ago, Arafat ordered a halt to all violence against Israel, and the number of attacks has since dropped sharply though they have not stopped altogether. No Israeli has been killed by Palestinian attackers since Dec. 12, when a bus ambush killed 10.
Arafat's speech and a subsequent crackdown by Palestinian security forces against militants has resulted in some of the worst Palestinian infighting in years. Seven Palestinians were killed and about 100 injured in clashes between police and activists Thursday and Friday.
But Israel insists that Arafat must do more.
Also Sunday, Sharon dismissed newspaper reports saying his government supported a proposal that would recognize a Palestinian state within two months, and negotiate the final borders and other details over the next year.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Arafat confidant Ahmed Qureia worked on the plan calling for a Palestinian state in territories the Palestinian Authority now controls, according to the Yediot Aharonot and Maariv newspapers.
The two sides acknowledged the behind-the-scenes talks and Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Peres' proposals were being considered.
The report said that after the recognition of the Palestinian state, the sides would have a year to negotiate the toughest issues borders, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of millions of Palestinian war refugees.
"The plan, as it is presented (in the newspapers), is imaginary and just raising it causes great damage to Israel," Sharon's office said in a statement.
Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the proposal was an attempt to "beautify the reality of the (Israeli) occupation."
"The Palestinian people will remain under a de facto occupation, but under an illusive cover called a `state,"' Abed Rabbo said in a statement.
The Palestinians currently have full or partial autonomy in 42 percent of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They are seeking a state in all of Gaza and the West Bank, with a capital in east Jerusalem.
(China Daily December 24, 2001)
