Arafat Donates Blood for U.S. Victims

Photos Reuters Photo

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) donated blood Wednesday for the victims of the terror attacks in New York and Washington while other Palestinians held a vigil in Jerusalem in sympathy with the United States. ''God bless them,'' Arafat said as medical staff prepared to draw his blood in Gaza Shifa hospital. Palestinian officials said his donation would be the start of a blood drive for the casualties of Tuesday's attacks.

It was unclear if arrangements had been made to transfer the blood from Gaza and the West Bank to the United States. Thousands of Israelis donated blood Wednesday, health officials said.

Dozens of Palestinian men, women and children gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate in East Jerusalem, lighting candles and placing flowers along its walls.

Some of the placards they carried read: ``Terror is our common enemy'' and ``We are victims too.''

Tuesday, some in the West Bank city of Nablus and Arab East Jerusalem rejoiced publicly after hijacked planes slammed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites).

Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi told a news conference the celebrations were ``misguided'' and ``aberrations'' motivated by a feeling among Palestinians that they have been victims of U.S. backing for Israel.

At least 569 Palestinians and 165 Israelis have been killed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began last September after peace talks stalled.

Israel has used U.S.-made weapons, including F-16 warplanes and Apache helicopters, in some of the fighting.

HORROR MOVIE

Many Palestinians spent a sleepless night glued to television sets as they followed the developments in New York and Washington.

``I thought I was watching a Hollywood horror movie...I couldn't believe my eyes,'' Mohammad Khaled, 20, a student in Ramallah in the West Bank, told Reuters.

``We the Palestinians are human beings and we don't celebrate when others are mourning,'' 42-year-old housewife Amal Qassem told Reuters from Bethlehem.

``Although Israel hits us every day with American Apache helicopters and uses American weapons to kill our people, we send our condolences to the families of the victims,'' she said.

Arafat condemned the attacks as a ``terrible act'' Tuesday and said he would help track down those responsible if asked by the Americans.

Palestinians have slammed the United States, alleging bias toward Israel in the Middle East conflict. They have burned U.S. flags during the nearly year-old revolt.

TRAGEDY SHOULD NOT BE EXPLOITED

Many who spoke to Reuters Wednesday said they feared Israel would exploit the events in the United States to portray the Arabs and Muslims as ``terrorists.''

Arafat delayed a planned visit to Syria Wednesday in the aftermath of the attacks. Palestinian officials said he put on hold all plans and meetings and his office was monitoring developments with concern.

For some Palestinian officials the attacks dealt a heavy blow to hopes for direct U.S. involvement to end the bloodshed and revive the peace process.

``Of course we have differences with the Americans because America supports Israel but we do not accept this tragedy against the Americans. This is a terrible terrorist act,'' said Nadia Hamadan, 33, from Nablus.

Palestinian analyst Ghassan al-Khatib said the ``human tragedy'' in the United States should not be exploited for political gains by making Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims look like the ``bad guys.''

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