September 22, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 14, 1423

AL QUDS, Sept 21: Israel says its siege of Yasser Arafat’s West Bank headquarters is meant to isolate him and force the surrender of suspected militants taking refuge there, but the Palestinians see other, hidden intentions.

Some Israeli commentators have also questioned whether the Ramallah siege is necessary, saying Arafat — whom Israel has kept confined to the city for almost a year — is now a figurehead leader powerless to act against militants.

The siege, launched on Thursday after suicide bombings killed seven people, has left the Palestinian leader looking more impotent than ever as he sits in his offices at the mercy of Israel troops who demolished the buildings around him.

For Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, it is a perfect chance to humiliate his nemesis after years of rivalry. But Palestinians fear that despite repeated denials, Sharon wants to go further by ousting, exiling or even killing him.

They say Sharon is unconcerned that the siege could provoke more violence, arguing that this would give him a pretext to step up military operations in Palestinian-ruled areas.

“Sharon wants to destroy the peace process and the Palestinian Authority and to isolate or kill Arafat. The end game is to restore full (Israeli) occupation of the West Bank,” said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

“We have said we are not going to harm Mr Arafat personally,” government spokesman Raanan Gissin said.

The military said: “The Israeli army is surrounding the compound and operating within its confines in order to isolate wanted Palestinians who have taken refuge inside and are responsible for directing many terrorist attacks.”

WHY NOT ATTACK HAMAS?: Yet some Israeli commentators have questioned why Sharon is besieging Arafat and not the militant group Hamas, which claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv last Thursday which killed six people plus the bomber.

By weakening or ousting the Palestinian leader, Sharon could strengthen Hamas and play into the militant group’s hands.

“Sharon has been consistent, and very successful, in trying to reduce the ability of Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to launch terror attacks and also in isolating Arafat,” said Israeli political analyst Gerald Steinberg.

But he added: “If the government goes after Arafat, it has to go after (Hamas founder) Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and his colleagues around him. The problem of Hamas emerging as the only coherent Palestinian leadership if Arafat goes is obvious.”

Palestinian political analyst Ali Jarbawi said there was no doubt that Hamas was becoming stronger and added: “Hamas is stronger as long as there is no viable political process.”

Sharon must also take care not to upset the United States, his key ally. Washington above all wants calm in the Middle East as it considers the possibility of military action against Iraq.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and to deal with security. But Israel also needs to bear in mind the consequences of action and Israel’s stake in the development of reforms in the Palestinian institution based on this progress,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said in Washington.

A new worsening of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would not be expected to have a major impact on US preparations for the possibility of a military strike against Iraq, unless Arafat were ousted or Palestinians pulled off a “mega attack”.

But a new explosion of violence could reduce further Arafat’s ability to carry out US President George W. Bush’s demands for sweeping reforms and a crackdown on corruption as conditions for the creation of a Palestinian state.

Arafat has long argued that army sieges of his headquarters and widespread military blockades across Palestinian areas limit his ability to carry out the reforms and rein in militants. His ability to do so now looks smaller than ever.

“The Americans should be aware that what Israel is doing and Washington’s backing for Israel is endangering the interests of the US in the region,” said Nabil Abu Rdeinah, Arafat’s senior adviser.—Reuters