By vetoing in UN Security Council a resolution against forcible exile or causing harm to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, US Admn. has made it clear that they back the Israeli Govt.'s determination to see the end of the Palestinian leader.  Israeli authorities have repeatedly declared their intention to do away with Arafat, even murdering him. Now through blocking the Security Council resolution on safety of Palestinian leadership, US has betrayed its complicity in this murderous plot.

Israeli govt. backed by US imperialism, is bent on undoing the Oslo Accords which were forced upon the Palestinian authorities by US Admn. after First Gulf War. Though Oslo Accords did not conform to the legitimate national aspirations of Palestinian people, they did provide for the creation of Palestinian state on the territories under the occupation of Israel (Gaza and West Bank). With the emergence of unipolar world and most of the Arab Govts. being subservient to US imperialism, Palestinian leadership was virtually forced to sign the Accords which were heavily tilted in favour of the Zionist state. However, the Zionist Govt. too was forced to make some small concessions in Oslo Accords.

But the Israeli Govt. and most importantly US imperialism, are in no mood to implement the Accords. They have systematically undermined the Accords; deadline for creation of Palestinian state has come and gone and negotiations on the contentious issues are stalled for the obstinacy of Zionist authorities. Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which were supposed to have been stopped, are expanding with regularity and US Admn. is providing funds for such expansion. The issue of Jerusalem is deadlocked and no meaningful discussions have taken place as Israeli Govt. is in no mood to share this traditional holy place of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Backtracking of US Admn. on Oslo Accords was obvious when Clinton Admn. tried to pressurize and blackmail Palestinian leadership, though without success, into surrendering the right of Palestinians to return to their homeland. It is surprising that Jews are being welcomed from countries where they had been living for centuries while Palestinians, who are living as refugees in camps are to be denied the right to return to their homeland. This right is guaranteed by the US resolutions. But US Admn. has shown scant regard for UN resolutions when these are not to its taste.

While US and Israel are trying to force on Palestinians "Bantustan" type arrangement (Black enclaves under apartheid regime in South Africa) in some pockets, Palestinian people are in no mood to surrender their national rights and are willing to sacrifice everything for achieving this. Zionist state and its imperialist backers, principally US imperialism, is bent on frustrating their national aspirations forcing Palestinian people to wage a struggle full of self-sacrifice and heroism.

To crush the Palestinian resistance, Zionists and US imperialists are targeting the Palestinian leadership, even threatening to liquidate Yasser Arafat, long-standing symbol of Palestinian struggle for their national self-determination. They wish to impose on Palestinians a leadership of their choice, that is what the democracy is all about in their eyes i.e. their 'democratic' right to decide the destiny of other countries.

Israel continues to be the main pillar of US middle-east policy, while kings, amirs and sheikhs of Arabia, that decadent class outdated in history and opposed to their own people, are the other pillars. US imperialism wants to control the middle-east oil by installing subservient Govts. and terrorizing the rulers through military means. Their invasion of Iraq was to further drive home this point.

People of Arab countries, particularly Palestinians, are faced with grim reality of military might of US-Israel and Arab leaders subservient to US imperialism. Palestinians are undoubtedly waging a just and legitimate struggle and they are paying a heavy price for it. Their fight enjoys support from all justice loving people of the world; of all the forces fighting against imperialist loot and plunder; all forces fighting against imperialist domination of their countries either directly or through domestic reactionaries.

It is indeed condemnable that Indian Govt. had chosen to invite the Zionist chieftain particularly at a time when Israel is intensifying its offensive against Palestinians and their legitimate and internationally recognized leadership. It is even more condemnable that during their visit Israeli delegation had made known their determination to eliminate the Palestinian leadership without any objection from Indian hosts.