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How Salim was 'hijacked' for chat with Yasser Arafat over Israel-Palestine conflict
What you need to know:
- Dr Salim Ahmed Salim says in his notes that Israel’s expansion had been a concern for the Arab world since the creation of the Jewish State in 1948.
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s most decorated diplomat and former Prime Minister, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, had the opportunity to meet and discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the former head of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), Yasser Arafat in 1990, according to new records released yesterday.
Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who was born 82 years ago on a day like today (January 23), says in his notes that Israel’s expansion had been a concern for the Arab world since the creation of the Jewish State in 1948.
Dr Salim writes in his notes that he met with the former head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Arafat on March 11, 1990, to discuss Israeli’s expansionism in Palestine.
Released today, as part of the new material on the Salim Ahmed Salim Digital Archive to celebrate his 82nd birthday, the notes narrate the events that led to the unexpected meeting following Yasser’s concerns about Israel.
It was a Sunday evening while in Tripoli, Libya when Dr Salim was preparing to go to the residence of the then Executive Secretary of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Ambassador Tchicaya, for dinner when the Director of the African Affairs of the PLO, Salman and the Ambassador of Palestine in Harare formerly the PLO representative in Tanzania, Ali Helemei cornered him.
He was standing with other people in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel on the way to dinner and while he was heading out, he was as he puts it ‘hijacked’ by Salman and Helemei who asked him to go with them to meet with President Yassir Arafat to which he consented.
Dr Salim detailed, “The residence where I met with the Palestinian leader was very well guarded. While armed Palestinian fighters were guarding the place, I met with Arafat for some 30 minutes or so.
Also present was the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Our entire discussion focused on the serious implications of the Soviet Jews immigrating to Israel and settling in occupied areas. It was clear to me from the discussion with Arafat that this is an issue, which the PLO is treating with utmost seriousness and grave concern.”
The PLO Chairman gave Dr Salim a little map based on an Israeli coin, which shows the extent of Israeli expansionism in Palestine.
“Among other greater things, Israel is believed to cover some parts of Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and half of Sinai. I later learned that the PLO leader had presented this to the Foreign Ministers of Arab countries meeting in Tunis and impressed upon them to take the issue of the Soviet Jewish immigrants as part of a larger scheme of Israeli expansionism,” he further stated in the notes.
After his meeting with Mr Arafat ended at 9 pm, Dr Salim proceeded to his dinner meeting at the residence of Ambassador Tchicaya, which was a 20-minute drive.
Israel was declared a country on May 14, 1948 after the head of the Jewish Agency, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel and this announcement sparked the Arab- Israel War when five Arab nations invaded the territory of the former Palestinian mandate.
EU wants two-state solution
In the latest development to the conflict, war broke out after the surprise Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 on Israel.
Israel then launched a military response that has plunged the Middle East into fresh turmoil and sparked fears of a broader conflict.
But while the bloodshed appears to have driven a long-term solution further out of sight, EU officials insist the time is now to talk about finally resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The 27 EU ministers met first with Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz before they were due to sit down separately with the Palestinian Authority's top diplomat, Riyad al-Maliki.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia were also holding talks with the European ministers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and defied key backer the United States by rejecting calls for a Palestinian state.
Israel's assault on Gaza has left over 25,000 Palestinians dead, the vast majority women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, according to AFP.
Netanyahu has vowed "complete victory" over Hamas after the attacks by the Islamist movement's fighters on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Hamas militants also seized about 250 hostages and Israel says around 132 remain in besieged Gaza.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Israel that "peace and stability cannot be built only by military means".
"Which are the other solutions they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them?" Borrell said.
