Palestinian official accuses ‘fool’ Bush of colluding in Arafat’s death
‘Israel was not alone in assassinating Arafat,’ Jibril Rajoub charges
Elhanan Miller is the former Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
A Palestinian Authority official accused former US President George W. Bush of colluding with former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in the assassination of PA President Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Media Watch revealed Wednesday.
During an interview with official Palestinian Authority television on November 10, Jibril Rajoub, a former security official and Fatah member who currently heads the Palestinian soccer association, said it was “clear” that Israel was not alone in killing the Palestinian leader.
“America was there [too],” Rajoub said. “That fool Bush lifted the protection from Yasser Arafat and gave a green light to Sharon to assassinate Yasser Arafat.”
The Palestinian Authority is currently conducting an official investigation into the death of Arafat in 2004, after having exhumed his body last November in order to test his remains for radiation poisoning. The head of the inquiry committee, Tawfik Tirawi, publicly accused Israel of responsibility for Arafat’s death last week.
Palestinian Media Watch is an Israel-based watchdog which monitors Palestinian outlets for cases of anti-Israel statements or other incitement.
Rajoub is no stranger to controversial statements. The former head of the powerful Preventive Security agency in the West Bank has called Israel the “main enemy” of Palestinians and said the Jewish State was to blame for an attack on a 9-year-old girl in Psagot last month due to its “incitement” and settlement policy.
A signatory to the Geneva Accord, Rajoub was barred by the Israeli defense minister in June from attending a conference in Tel Aviv for “severe incitement” against Israel.
