Word: arabism
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Arafat's third point called for "a comprehensive settlement" among all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including "the state of Palestine, Israel and other neighbors, within the framework of the international conference...
...intense, sometimes emotional debate, the time had come to vote. Normally, delegates in the U.N. General Assembly cast their ballots electronically, pushing buttons at their desks and watching the results -- green for yes, red for no -- wink up instantly on two display boards overlooking the hall. This time, 18 Arab countries insisted on a voice vote as well. By a draw of lots, Britain went first, and abstained. Next came Uruguay, with a decisive si. Soon there was a oui and a da, then the Arabic assent na'am. As the U.N.'s six official languages rang out, a chuckle...
Despite the nervous mirth, the vote was thoroughly earnest. By a resounding count of 151 to 2, the U.N. deplored the U.S. refusal to grant a visa to Yasser Arafat so that he could address the General Assembly. The Arab- sponsored resolution gave Washington 24 hours to "reconsider and reverse" its decision. As expected, Secretary of State George Shultz, who made the decision in the first place, refused to yield, reasserting that Arafat, as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was an "accessory" to terrorism and consequently barred under American law from entering the U.S. Two days later the General...
...Shultz's intransigence. If the Secretary sought to deny Arafat the kind of prominence that a U.N. visit would bring, he produced the opposite: a publicity bonanza for the chairman. "Had the U.S. let him come, he would have been news for a day or two," said an Arab diplomat. "Now he will be a hot news item for weeks." When the General Assembly convenes in Geneva, Arafat can expect to bask in the warmth of considerable international sympathy and unified Arab support...
...tacit acceptance of Israel's existence by most of the Arab countries has made a diplomatic settlement more conceivable...