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Al-Jazeera: World leaders unite behind Arafat

World leaders have united in condemnation of Israel’s move to expel the Palestinian president, Yasir Arafat, from his Ram Allah headquarters in the West Bank.


The veteran leader’s supporters rallied in tens of thousands, vowing to support him despite the Israeli security cabinet's decision in principle to spirit him out of the Palestinian territories and into exile.

Russia called the plan a "serious political mistake with the most negative consequences," on Friday.

"Such a step would remove the possibility of peacefully
resolving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and would lead to an
uncontrollable chain of events in the worst case scenario," said a statement issued by Russia's foreign ministry.

A senior US administration official said once again that Washington would not work with Arafat but opposed expelling him because that would only give him "a wider international stage."