Palestine Buries Arafat in the Heart
Meanwhile, after a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House yesterday, US President George W. Bush said that he is ready to work on the formation of an independent Palestine state.
The helicopter carrying Arafat’s body was unable to land for 25 minutes because of the crowds of Palestinian mourners for their leader, who died on November 11 after being taken for emergency treatment in Paris on October 29. In the ceremony, security forces fired shots in the air to control the crowd.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are prevented from traveling to Ramallah by the Israelis appeared on balconies and rooftops to watch the helicopter passing over the region. Symbolic ceremonies were also held at the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria. Funeral prayers for Arafat were also offered in many Turkish cities.
In Ramallah on the West Bank, Palestinian Minister Saeb Erakat spoke to Israeli Channel 2 television saying, "We want peace." The Minister called on the Israeli army to withdraw troops from Palestinian cities to help the elections, which are to be held within 60 days.
