NEWS: Sharon Will Not Allow Arafat Burial at Al Aqsa

The issue of Yassir Arafat's death is very near, and Ariel Sharon has stated once again that Israel will not allow for Arafat to be buried at the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque. Several Muslim groups have also protested against the plan to bury Arafat at the holy site. Israeli defense and security units are at a heightened state of alert, awaiting Arafat's death to be announced. Once it has been announced, they will increase their alert level to three or four.



The Israelis have proposed several other sites for Arafat's final resting place including Ramallah, Abu Dis, and the Gaza strip. Those closest to Arafat have ruled out these sites.

The events that may surround Arafat's funeral will possible be worse then the news of his death. If Palestinians push the issue of burying him in Jerusalem, the resulting clashes with the IDF will no doubt spur a more dangerous escalation in the current Intifada.

UPDATE: PA Officials have decided to bury Arafat at his Ramallah compound, the Mukata. Israeli officials are still not satisfied with this decision, as they believe it is too close to Jerusalem. It is expected that they will announce the details of his death and funeral once they return from Paris.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
ALERT! Arafat's Death Reported, Immediately Denied
Yassir Arafat's Life Support to be Removed



[edit on 4-11-2004 by John bull 1]

[edit on 11/9/2004 by phreak_of_nature]

How terrible! Sharon and his gang are just a bunch of bloodthirsty savages!

Refusing to allow Palestinians to bury a man into THEIR OWN sacred burial site??? Sharon is actually LOOKING for war!

This is going to get ugly. With Arafat's condition in question, both the Palestinians, and Israelis are preparing for his eventual burial. Palestinians are planning for a burial at the Al Aqsa Mosque, and Israelis are still insisting that he not be buried there.

I'm afraid this could be the catalyst for the next big clash acutally:

Crisis over Eventual Burial of Arafat

I see both sides...

I see them both pigheaded and not giving a care about anything but not compromising, in absolutely everything.

Neither wants to give an inch...the struggle will never end.

I truly believe its time that both sides get treated as pariah states. Israel is definitely no angel in this conflict, yet they get away with so much. How petty is it to deny a man the right to be buried where he wants to - its not like his ghost is going to come and commit atrocities.

Exactly, and this statement from the Israeli government:

�They (the Palestinians) will choose where to bury him, but he will not be buried in Jerusalem because Jerusalem is the city where Jewish kings are buried and not Arab terrorists,�

I'm sorry, but it really depends on whose defining a "terrorist". It appears to me the Israeli definition of terrorism on the Palestinian side has always been anything that wasn't an organized military effort by the Palestine government...in other words, because the Palestinians used guerrilla warfare in the 40's versus the Israeli organized military attacks, they were terrorists.

I would think that the Philistines would have looked at King David as a terrorist under this definition bein's Saul was the legitimate king of the Israelites and David was running around the country enlisting guerrilla fighters in a VERY unsanctioned manner (when you consider he was having to hide from Saul as well.)

I'm so very tired of both sides and their hypocrisy and bull-headedness in absolutely everything.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Israeli Security forces have been put on heightened alert in preparation for his death....well, yeah, especially since the Palestinians are probably going to try to march his coffin to the Temple Mount.

israelnationalnews.com...

Not good.

"Even in death they war"

Arafat has been a force in the Middle East for over 40 years on the diplomatic scene... And in death deserves the respect given a leader.

I think the tactics that the PLO has used and were endorsed by Arafat have been seen as terrorism.. And yes they are.

The Israelis can celebrate the death of Arafat if they wish, but should not deny his people the way which they wish to honor him.

"in death they seek conflict"

The Israelis accuse the PLO of using terrorist tactics to force Israel to allow for the creation of an independent state of Palestine.

But after WWII while the region known then as Palestine was occupied by the British, sorry, administrated by the British... The Jews used somewhat similar tactics to force the Brits to withdraw, and allow for the creation of the state of Israel. Not only did the Jewish settelers use these tactics against the British forces, they used them against Arab citizens in the region to force them to leave.

Advance the timeline 60 years and change the flags... and you know what... It's still wrong!

Originally posted by Echtelion
How terrible! Sharon and his gang are just a bunch of bloodthirsty savages!

Refusing to allow Palestinians to bury a man into THEIR OWN sacred burial site??? Sharon is actually LOOKING for war!

:lolUde your a scream .
yuo should take that act on the road.

Palestinian officials have been making arrangements for Arafat's eventual death, and hopeful return to the West Bank for burial. PA members have come to the decision that Arafat will be buried in Ramallah at the Mukata, Arafat's battered compound. Israeli security officials are not happy with this choice either, because of the proximity to Jerusalem.


It seems that even with the concessions that the PA has made about Arafat's burial site, Israel is not happy. I don't think they will be happy unless he is buried in the fenced off Gaza strip, or completely out of the region.

Israeli security and defense officials are concerned over a possibly explosive situation developing around Arafat's funeral, and eventual resting place.