Excerpts of Speech

These are excerpts from Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat’s speech to the Palestinian Legislative Council:

“It is the time for change and reform. I’m calling for a reevaluation of all our administrative and ministerial bodies, the security apparatuses, after there have been signs of mismanagement here and there that are impossible to conceal from public opinion.”

“We may have made mistakes or caused damage ... in one realm of responsibility or another, but we have guarded security and our national goals.”

“Palestinian and Arab public opinion have reached a point where they agree such operations [attacks on Israeli civilians] do not serve our goals. On the contrary, it creates the hatred within the international community that was behind the creation of Israel.”

“I tell you if there was a mistake [in the deals to end sieges in Ramallah and Bethlehem], put it all on my shoulders. I can handle it. There is no movement in which mistakes are not found.”