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Israel on Highest Alert for Arafat's Burial Julie Stahl, CNSNews.comJERUSALEM – Dozens of dignitaries and heads of state were in Cairo on Friday to pay their last respects to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Arafat's body was flown to Cairo on Thursday, hours after he was pronounced dead in a Paris military hospital. The cause of death has not been announced. Story Continues Below His coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was carried on a horse-drawn carriage with full military honors a short distance through the streets of Cairo on Friday to Galaa Club, a compound that includes a hospital, mosque and social club for military officers, where an official ceremony was held. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak offered to host the ceremony in Cairo, because Arab dignitaries from countries that have no diplomatic relations with Israel would not be able to attend the funeral in the West Bank. Attending the funeral were the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Brazil, Yemen, Algeria and South Africa as well as foreign ministers and high-ranking officials from some 60 states. The U.S. sent Assistant Secretary of State William Burns as its representative, lower-level representation than the Palestinians had hoped for. Israel sent no official representative but was allowing Israelis to enter Ramallah, which will be guarded only by Palestinian security, at their own risk to attend the funeral. Leaders from around the world offered praise for the Palestinian leader, but many Israelis had different ideas about him.
The Israeli army closed off the West Bank from Israel on Thursday, and Israeli soldiers have gathered on the outskirts of Ramallah. Israeli security officials are concerned that Palestinian mourners might seize Arafat's body from the Mukata compound and try to carry it to Jerusalem, less than six miles away. Israel police were on highest alert throughout the country and particularly in Jerusalem on Friday, which marks not only Arafat's burial, but also the last Friday of the Ramadan. Thousands of police were deployed in Jerusalem, particularly in and around the Temple Mount area. The police contingency plan for Arafat's death has been in the works for some time. Police are concentrating on anti-terrorism, civil disorder and traffic flow. Israeli police want to ensure that terrorist organizations don't take advantage of Arafat's burial to carry out massive attacks, police spokesman Gil Kleiman said on Friday. They were also on guard to prevent rioting or Palestinians from reaching Jerusalem as well as enabling Israelis to reach the funeral, he said. Copyright CNSNews.com
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