Berlin : Abdeljebbar Rachidi et ses homologues africains lancent le Réseau africain sur la solidarité et le handicap    Akhannouch préside une réunion sur la mise en œuvre des peines alternatives    Transformation numérique : l'ACAPS lance le programme "Émergence"    Droits de douane américains : Le Maroc bénéficie d'un taux avantageux    Coopération Chili-Maroc : le président du Sénat chilien plaide pour un agenda commun    CAN U17 : Le Maroc et la Zambie se quittent sur un nul blanc    Propagande algérienne sur le Sahara : La France réitère son soutien à la souveraineté du Maroc    Abdellatif Ouahbi : Les peines alternatives, une étape positive dès août 2025    Le domaine de la Santé, « un vaste champ d'action » de la coopération franco-marocaine    Guerre commerciale : l'UE prépare sa riposte aux taxes américaines    Turquie : Décès de neuf migrants en mer Égée    Fonction publique : le Conseil de gouvernement approuve des propositions de nouvelles nominations    CAN U17 : Les Camerounais dans le rouge, les Sud-africains en standby !    CAN U17 / Zambie-Maroc: Les Chipolopolos et les Lionceaux du coup d'envoi    Achraf Hakimi signe chez Under Armour !    Liga : Feu vert pour Dani Olmo et Pau Victor avec le Barça jusqu'à la fin de la saison    CSEFRS : Passation de pouvoirs entre M. Habib El Malki et Mme Rahma Bourqia    Le Conseil de gouvernement adopte un projet de décret sur le régime de sécurité sociale    Droits de douane de Trump : Entre menaces de riposte et appels au dialogue    Le Conseil de la Concurrence autorise l'acquisition par le Groupe AKDITAL de deux établissements de santé à Laâyoune    Safi : Interception record de16 Tonnes de Chira !    Le Conseil de gouvernement adopte un projet de décret-loi relatif à l'Agence nationale des eaux et forêts    SIEL 2025 : Rabat accueille la 9e semaine de la langue espagnole    Accès aux monuments historiques : Lancement de la 1ère plateforme électronique de vente de tickets    CAN U17/ Programme de la journée    Nasser Bourita reçoit le président du Parlement andin qui a exprimé son appui à l'intégrité territoriale du Maroc    Aid Al-Adha : Coût de la subvention à l'importation d'ovins en 2023-2024 atteint 437 millions de dirhams    Le FMI accorde une nouvelle ligne de crédit flexible de 4,5 milliards de dollars au Maroc    Droits de douane américains : Les Européens « prêts à réagir »    Conjoncture : la croissance de moins en moins sensible aux activités agricoles    La récolte de blé du Maroc en 2025 en dessous de la moyenne malgré les fortes pluies de mars    Le domaine de la Santé, « un vaste champ d'action » de la coopération franco-marocaine    AP-UpM: Rachid Talbi El Alami plaide pour un partenariat équilibré entre le Maroc et l'Europe    Lancement d'une nouvelle version du portail national Maroc.ma dotée d'une interface remaniée    Une subvention de 437 millions de dirhams pour l'importation d'ovins partie en fumée, sans effet notable sur les prix    Classement FIFA: le Maroc fait un bond de deux places    Les Lionnes de l'Atlas s'entraînent avant les matchs contre la Tunisie et le Cameroun    Trump impose de nouveaux tarifs douaniers et distingue les pays amis du reste du monde : 10 % pour le Maroc, 30 % pour l'Algérie et 28 % pour la Tunisie    Nouveaux droits de douane américains : 10 % pour le Maroc, le Golfe et l'Egypte... et 30 % pour l'Algérie    Le Maroc, dans le top 4 des pays au monde où l'IA est utilisée par les cadres    Le Statut de l'artiste : Désormais une réalité pour le Burkina Faso    La Côte d'Ivoire fait son cinéma au Maroc    France. Le célèbre animateur Arthur champion de la lutte contre l'antisémitisme    Francia reafirma apoyo a Marruecos sobre el Sáhara tras diálogo Macron-Tebboune    Understanding the United States' new tariff rate policies    Libye : Un ADN ancien de 7000 ans révèle une lignée de l'Afrique du Nord    Sahel : L'armée malienne répond à l'abattage de son drone Akinci    Festival Mawazine: Will Smith et Kid Cudi en têtes d'affiche    







Merci d'avoir signalé!
Cette image sera automatiquement bloquée après qu'elle soit signalée par plusieurs personnes.



During a 1993 meeting, King Hassan called Yassir Arafat a «megalomaniac»
Publié dans Yabiladi le 14 - 01 - 2021

During a 1993 meeting in Rabat, King Hassan II and an Israeli delegation discussed the position of Palestinians and Israelis following the Oslo I Accord. During this meeting, the late King was very critical of Yassir Arafat's position.
In December 1993, King Hassan II played a crucial role in the negotiations that followed the Oslo I Accord or Declaration of Principles (DOP), an attempt in 1993 to set up a framework that would lead to the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The Moroccan sovereign was up to date and briefed regarding the positions of both Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) shortly after the agreement. In December 1993, only months after the Oslo Accords signing ceremony on 13 September 1993, King Hassan II received an Israeli delegation in Rabat.
The latter consisted of Jacques Neriah, former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and deputy head for assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence and Moroccan-born Knesset member Rafi Edry.
In his book «Between Rabin and Arafat» (Jerusalem Centers for Public Affairs, 2016), Neriah recalls this unforgettable meeting. On December 15, 1993, Neriah was called by Israel's Military Secretary Danny Yaton, who informed him about his meeting with the King.
A meeting worth remembering
The main reason behind the trip was «to enlist the support of the King of Morocco and the president of Tunisia in the Israeli position in the negotiations with the PLO», he wrote in an article published earlier this week by the Jewish News Syndicate.
By December 18, Neriah and Edry were at the Royal Palace in Rabat, where they were received by King Hassan II.
«The King received us cordially in his grand chamber, and the conversation lasted about an hour– that is, 20 minutes beyond its allotted time», Neriah wrote. The meeting was attended by General Abdelhak El Kadiri and Morocco's then-foreign minister Abdellatif Filali.
As explained by Knesset member Edry, the meeting with King Hassan II was a must for the Israelis, who «regularly brief world leaders especially, US President Bill Clinton, Egyptian Hosni Mubarak, French President Francois Mitterand and His Majesty».
Edry explained to the King «Israel's positions on the peace talks in 1993 with PLO leader Yasser Arafat, after a bitter crisis over security responsibilities in the Judea, Samaria and Gaza territories». He also asked for his opinion, which was very firm regarding Arafat at the time.
Indeed, the late King of Morocco believed that «the disagreement between the PLO and Israel was all based on a misinterpretation of the Agreement of Principles—an interpretation of one person and not of the PLO—and therefore the reference to Arafat should be separated from the reference to the PLO, and we should not mistake it».
Yasir Arafat, a «megalomaniac» ?
According to the same account, the sovereign was very critical towards Arafat and disagreed of some of his decisions at the time, especially after a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas.
«Let me tell you first all I know. I met yesterday [Dec. 17, 1993] with Mahmoud Abbas and told him that I was going to meet MK Edri and Dr. Neriah tomorrow. Abbas expressed warm words about Neriah and said he was a serious interlocutor», the King would have said.
He explained that the Palestinians were «frustrated with Arafat's positions». «Mahmoud Abbas said to me: 'The Israelis are right, and we are wrong. Arafat tries to speak from a position that holds that this is a 'Palestinian state,' while we, those close to him, explicitly tell him that this is only a transitional phase. The main problem, as far as I can tell, is the crossings, and in this matter, you could say that the Israelis are right».
The late monarch would have said that he was ready to give a plane to Abbas if he was willing to go to Oslo to negotiate with the Israelis.
«I want to help the Palestinians, but I don't want to take a negotiating position. … We'll see what happens», the late King would have said. He would have been highly critical, during said meeting, of how Arafat handled things and even called him a «megalomaniac», according to Neriah.
«Arafat is a tyrant to all of them and does not allow any progress. It seems that the man became a megalomaniac with a severe mental disorder. He yells all the time. He alienated all his loyalists. Hanan Ashrawi, Faisal Husseini, Haidar 'Abd al-Shafi and Mahmoud Abbas. He is now surrounded by young people who are no counterweight to his views».
By the end of this meeting, the late King would have sought to convey to Rabin that «Arafat must be separated from the PLO, create pressure on him without breaking the dishes and dispatch a messenger to Arafat to 'shake his ears'».
At the end of their meeting with King Hassan II, the Israeli delegation left for General El Kadiri's home. There, the late sovereign arranged a surprise meeting with Abbas. The two parties sat without any Moroccan mediator and discussed the situation. They both agreed to, if possible, meet in Morocco again and «enjoy the warm hospitality of the King of Morocco again».


Cliquez ici pour lire l'article depuis sa source.