PNA calls for sanctions as Israel defies UN vote

Israel yesterday vowed to press ahead with construction of its West Bank wall despite a UN resolution demanding that it be torn down, but Palestinians called for international sanctions to force compliance.

"Building of the fence will go on," Raanan Gissin, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said hours after the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to press Israel to obey a World Court ruling declaring the barrier illegal.

Gissin said Israel was not surprised by the non-binding UN decision, calling it a "tyranny of the majority" in the General Assembly.

The vote was 150 in favour of the Palestinian-sponsored resolution to six against, including Israel's main ally, the United States, and 10 abstentions.

All 25 EU nations voted in favour of the measure.

Nabeel Abu Rdainah, an aide to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, hailed the General Assembly's decision as a "victory for the Palestinian people" and called for sanctions to enforce it.

"The UN Security Council must now take steps to implement the General Assembly's decision to remove the wall," he said.

The White House dismissed the vote saying it was not "the appropriate way" to promote Middle East peace.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Geit echoed the Palestinian call for action, urging the United Nations and the international community to "bear their responsibility".

Arafat unifies security forces

Ramallah
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has issued a decree to condense at least a dozen security branches into three agencies, a senior aide said yesterday.

The aide, Jibril Al Rajoub said that Arafat had now signed the decree to formalise the move.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ahmad Qorei said that the shooting of an outspoken critic of Arafat was an example of the "deep security crisis" enveloping the Palestinian areas.

Arafat ordered an investigation into Tuesday's shooting of lawmaker Nabeel Amr, who was seriously wounded. Amr issued a plea for calm and hinted that someone was trying to silence him.

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