Palestinian President Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital Thursday

Thursday, July 18, 2019

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He considered to be the main obstacle to peace in the Jewish state and now Israel hopes that after his death it could have new relationships with the Palestinians. He was 75. The announcement of the death of the Palestinian president, who symbolised his people-s fight for an independent state, but failed to achieve it in his lifetime, ended days of confusion over his condition, as he lay comatose behind a veil of secrecy. The death of the man Washington shunned as an "obstacle to peace" could stir renewed hopes for peace, but fears remained of a succession battle that could thrust Palestinian territories into chaos and push the region into a deeper crisis, reports Economic Times. A Washington-based Islamic group Thursday offered its condolences to the Palestinian people on the death of President Yasser Arafat. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also said U.S. support for the Palestinians is an essential ingredient for peace in the Middle East and a key factor in winning the war on terror. In a statement, the group said: "CAIR offers it sincere condolences to the Palestinian people on the death of President Yasser Arafat. We come from God and to God we return", wrote the Washington Times. "I think we've got a chance," President Bush said several hours before the 75-year-old Arafat was declared dead at a French hospital. Afterward, the U.S. president called it "a significant moment" for the Palestinians in their quest for peace and an independent state. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns will represent the United States at Arafat's funeral, an official below the many European foreign ministers, African presidents and Arab leaders attending, and a choice that drew criticism Washington was missing a chance for a fresh start with the Palestinians. U.S. officials played down the idea of any quick, dramatic change in their policy with the demise of the Palestinian leader, whom the Bush administration viewed as a corrupt, untrustworthy failure and an obstacle to peace, informs Reuters

Bookmark Palestinian President Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital Thursday