Yasser Arafat's widow apologizes to UAE over insults, burning of flags

Erekat also says symbols of the UAE should not be harmed, but other Palestinians outraged at apology

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Suha Arafat, wife of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, speaks during an interview with English-language satellite news channel Al Jazeera in Doha November 6, 2013 (photo credit: REUTERS/FADI AL-ASSAAD)
Suha Arafat, wife of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, speaks during an interview with English-language satellite news channel Al Jazeera in Doha November 6, 2013
(photo credit: REUTERS/FADI AL-ASSAAD)
Suha Arafat, the widow of former PLO leader Yasser Arafat, has apologized for the burning of Emirati flags in protest of the normalization deal between the UAE and Israel.
The apology, which appeared on Instagram account called “officialsuhayasserarafat,” was welcomed by some UAE citizens but criticized by several Palestinians.
“I want to apologize, in the name of the honorable among the Palestinian people, to the Emirati people and their leadership for the desecration and burning of the UAE flag in Jerusalem and Palestine, and for insulting the symbols of the beloved UAE,” Suha, 57, wrote. “These are not our values, morals, and traditions.”
Addressing Palestinians, Suha said: “Our generations need to read history well to learn how the UAE supported the Palestinian people and cause in the past and present. I apologize to the people and leadership of the UAE for any harm done by any Palestinian to this generous and kind [Emirati] people, who have always welcomed us.”
Suha also apologized to Fatima bint Mubarak, the mother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
Fatima, the third wife of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the founder president of the UAE, is referred to as the “Mother of Sheikhs” and as the “Mother of the UAE.”
Suha’s apology came after Palestinian protesters burned UAE flags and pictures of bin Zayed in response to the deal between the UAE and Israel to normalize their relations. Palestinians have also denounced the crown prince as a “traitor.”
The Palestinian Authority leadership has accused the UAE of “betraying al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause” by striking a deal with Israel.
Some Palestinians expressed concern over the harsh response of the PA leadership to the Israel-UAE accord. They accused the PA leadership of an “overreaction” and warned that scenes of Palestinians burning UAE flags and photos of bin Zayed would cause great damage to the Palestinians, particularly those living in the Gulf.
PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat appealed to Palestinians not to harm the symbols of the UAE. “The Emirati flag is a symbol that must be respected, and so are all other symbols of Emirati sovereignty,” he said.
Erekat’s statement came after many Gulf citizens strongly condemned the Palestinian leadership’s campaign of incitement against the UAE. Several UAE and Saudi academics, journalists and political activists accused the Palestinians of being “ungrateful” and denounced the burning of Emirati flags and pictures of bin Zayed.
Suha’s apology, however, drew sharp criticism from other Palestinians, including senior officials in the West Bank who said that she was not entitled to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people.
Munir al-Jaghoub, a senior official with the ruling  Fatah faction, said he did not count himself among those on whose behalf Suha Arafat apologized to the Emirati people. “I did not mandate anyone to apologize on my behalf to the UAE after it normalized its relations [with Israel],” al-Jaghoub wrote on Twitter. “I think many Palestinians do not want to apologize [to the UAE] and did not authorize anyone to apologize.”
Several Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip expressed outrage over Suha’s apology and said they too do not share her sentiment.
“Who asked this woman to speak on behalf of the Palestinians?” remarked a senior PLO official in Ramallah. “She is making it seem as if those who criticized the United Arab Emirates are not honorable people. She needs to keep her mouth shut.”
Some Palestinians claimed that the apology was a sign of the close relationship between Suha Arafat and Mohammed Dahlan, the deposed Fatah operative who serves as special adviser to bin Zayed. Based in Abu Dhabi, Dahlan is considered an archrival of Abbas.
Suha, who does not hold any official position in the Palestinian Authority, has been living in Malta for the past decade.
After the death of her husband in 2004, she and her daughter, Zahwa, moved to Tunisia and obtained Tunisian citizenship. In 2007, Tunisia revoked her citizenship. Four years later, the Tunis Court of First Instance issued an international arrest warrant for her in connection with a corruption scandal that involved the former Tunisian first lady, Leila Ben Ali.
Several UAE newspapers highlighted Suha Arafat’s apology while many Emirati social media users praised her for her “courage.”


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