Activists form shield around Arafat as Israel warns clock is ticking

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Foreign and Israeli peace activists formed a human shield around Yasser Arafat at his headquarters on Sunday as Israel warned the clock was ticking towards the Palestinian leader’s removal after a suicide attack in Haifa.


Eight activists from Israel and around 20 more from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) had gathered at Arafat’s offices in the West Bank town of Ramallah, pledging to defend the veteran leader come what may.

Israeli activist Uri Avnery, from the radical pacifist movement Gush Shalom, said that the group was under no illusions about the Israeli intentions after its recent decision to “remove” Arafat, with one minister suggesting that his assassination was an option.

“We came here because we realised the suicide bombing in Haifa with its many casualties would provide an ideal pretext for (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon to do what he wants to do for a long time - to kill Arafat,” Avnery told AFP.

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