Palestinians mark second anniversary of Arafat's death

Vow to follow in Arafat's footsteps, repeat allegations that he was poisoned.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
abbas arafat memorial (photo credit: AP)
abbas arafat memorial
(photo credit: AP)
Palestinians throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Saturday marked the second anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat by vowing to follow in his footsteps and repeating allegations that he been poisoned to death by Israeli agents. The main ceremony was held in Ramallah, where tens of thousands of Palestinians converged on the Mukata "presidential" compound where Arafat is buried. Last year's ceremony attracted smaller crowds. Addressing the crowd, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said he would never "move even one inch away from Yasser Arafat's path and principles." He added: "There will be no security and peace under occupation and settlement. The Palestinian people will not give up one inch of their land, first and foremost Jerusalem." Several Fatah and Hamas leaders called on the PA leadership to launch a new investigation into the circumstances of Arafat's death, saying they did not rule out the possibility that someone in his office poisoned his food.