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Last update - 13:55 28/09/2007 Documents show Arafat was urged not to declare independence By Reuters Tags: Palestinians, British, Jordan  Senior Palestinian officials urged Yasser Arafat not to declare an independent state in the 1970s because they feared it would allow Israel to maintain sovereignty over all Palestinian lands, according to declassified documents. Newly released Foreign Office cables show British diplomats spent much of their time canvassing opinion among influential Palestinians to try to understand whether Arafat was intent on declaring an independent Palestinian state and how Jordan and other neighbours might react if it were to happen. One cable released by the National Archives on Friday records a meeting a diplomat had with Rashad al Shawa, a Palestinian leader in the Gaza Strip, in February 1974, shortly after Shawa had met Arafat to discuss independence. Advertisement "Rashad rejected the suggestion made to him by Yasser Arafat on the grounds that any attempt to form an independent Palestinian state would provide the Israelis with an opportunity to insist on maintaining their sovereignty over the whole of Palestine for security reasons," the diplomat wrote. "Rashad says the vast majority of the people of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are in favour of the formation of an independent Palestinian state because of their hatred to the Jordan regime but they do not realise that such a state would not survive without foreign help." In 1974, Israel had already occupied the West Bank and Gaza for seven years, since its victory in the 1967 war, and had just defeated a coalition of Arab states led by Syria and Egypt in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Some Arab leaders at the time, principally President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, were encouraging Arafat to declare an independent state, but Shawa warned Arafat that Egypt was merely trying to rid itself of any obligation to the Palestinians. "Sadat and other Arab leaders are getting fed up with the Palestinians and they are only interested in the welfare of their own people," a diplomat quoted Shawa as saying. At the same time, Jordan, which governed the West Bank until 1967 and had taken hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees under its wing, was fearful that Arafat would act independently and cause ructions among its own population. Prince Hasan, the brother of Jordan's King Hussein, told British diplomats that he would not be attending an Islamic summit that Arafat was also expected to attend. "Hasan had been asked by King Hussein to attend the summit but the King had now decided that Hasan should not go. There would be no point since Hasan would spend his time protesting at the 'head of state' treatment that would be accorded to Arafat." Powerful Palestinian businessmen in the West Bank were also unconvinced that Arafat should declare independence, instead favouring unity between the West Bank and Jordan's Hashemite royal family, with whom they had close ties. Sami Joudeh, a West Bank Palestinian, told Melhuish, a British diplomat, that Jordan's paying of salaries to Palestinians had made the Hashemites popular. "He himself did not see any future for an independent West Bank and favoured either unity with Jordan or a federal solution," Melhuish wrote. "If it became apparent that their material and political future was more likely to be assured under King Hussein than under Yasser Arafat, they (Palestinians) would vote for unity or a federal link (to Jordan). Bookmark to del.icio.us   Intrigue at Heathrow According to the BBC, an IDF general dodged arrest as U.K. police feared shootout. Decency in remission A Ramat Yishai widow is suspected of faking cancer to receive donations.   1.   Not the whole story. 09:10  |  David Nigel Braham 28/09/07   2.   ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA UNDER EGYPT; PARTS OF W.BANK LINKED TO JORDAN 10:49  |  G. Marcus 28/09/07   3.   What`s changed? 11:39  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/09/07   4.   # 2 g.marcus 13:35  |  Axel 28/09/07   5.   G Marcus the self appointed spokesman 13:42  |  Abu Firas AL Qudsi 28/09/07   6.   Abu Firas Al Qudsi -- The Syrians said it themselves 19:53  |  BBL 28/09/07   7.   no Arabist apologists? 22:50  |  Harry 28/09/07   8.   CHALLENGE TO THE ANTI-ISRAELIS 22:51  |  Harry 28/09/07   9.   a realistic impossibility and they know it ! 10:15  |  v hardman 20/02/08

Today Online Abbas aide: PA should declare independence if peace talks fail Responses: 5 Israel still building in settlements despite Olmert's promise Responses: 56 Amira Hass: Israel is stealing Palestinian land, private or not Responses: 4 Uzi Benziman: Olmert thinks peace is a deed done through trickery Send response Peace-minded residents of Gaza and Sderot share joint blog Responses: 13 Rosner's Domain Does John McCain need Evangelical voters? (WTR) Rosner's Guest(s): Orthodox women want a "seat at the table" Gaza: The Problem Nobody Wants Poll: Is it important to have an Israeli-Palestinian agreement by the end of 2008? The row over Obama's stance on Israel is a dispute between Jews More Headlines 10:17 PA official: We should declare independence if peace talks fail 09:18 Israel still building in West Bank settlements despite PM's pledge 10:08 ANALYSIS: When it comes to Jerusalem, both sides are right 07:42 Obama sweeps Wisconsin, pushing to 9 straight victories 10:22 MKs to tour Europe, Far East urging stronger action against Iran 03:15 Secular families leave J'lem neighborhood, ultra-Orthodox take over 08:39 Peace-minded residents of Gaza, Sderot blog together online 06:20 Sweden accused of persecuting civil servant for pro-Israel views 04:05 Officials at odds over first planned Arab city since Israel established 07:05 Labor party minister appeals bill 'empowering' rabbinical courts 10:11 Report: IDF general dodged U.K. arrest as police feared shootout 05:41 Business owners in north told to return Lebanon war compensation Previous Editions Select Day 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb

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