Gary Fitleberg, December 30, 2003

President George W. Bush has called for and demanded that the Arab "Palestinians" remove Yasser Arafat from the political scene, according to a report in the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot.

"We have to get rid of [Arafat]," Bush said in response to a question from Israeli reporter Orly Azluai at the annual White House Christmas party.

The newspaper also reported that U.S. officials believe that Arafat is preventing Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei from taking necessary steps against terrorism that will lead to the peace process.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2003 Gary Fitleberg