A delegation of Gush Shalom, took today (Friday, 12.11.04) part in Yasser Arafat’s funeral atthe Mukata’a in Ramallah.
The delegation passed the well-organized Israeli army checkpoint in Beitunia and wasconveyed from there to Ramallah in vans bearing the designation “Official Delegation”.
Masses of Palestinians beleaguered the gates of the compound and the Palestinian Policesucceeded only with great difficulty to make it possible for the delegation to enter. Theactivists were almost crushed in the process and one of them, Yehoshua Rosin, was slightlywounded. He was promptly treated by the Red Crescent.
Because of the crowding, the delegation was soon scattered among highly emotional mourners,numbering more than a hundred thousand. Only a few of them actually made it to the graveside.Senior officials of the Palestinian Authority invited them to the first row and placed themamong the ministers and religious leaders.
Delegation members wore prominent Gush Shalom stickers, consisting of the flags of Israeland Palestine. During the afternoon, hundreds of Palestinians approached the activists,shook their hands and expressed their gratitude for their coming to share their bereavement.It will be remembered that throughout the last year of his life Yasser Arafat wore the two-flagemblem of the Gush on his jacket.
The order of the funeral was shattered when the grief-stricken mourners let their emotionsfree reign. Thousands of rounds of ammunition were fired into the air by mourners and somepeople were slightly hurt by ricochets, as well as the heat and the crowding. In spite of that,the attitude towards the Israeli guest was throughout warm and cordial.
“Gush Shalom” is the only Israeli organization that published a statement expressing sorrowat the passing away of the Palestinian “Father of the Nation”.