The United Nations General Assembly with an overwhelming majority passed a resolution asking Israel to end threats to remove Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and ensure that no harm comes to him.
The 191-member assembly voted 133 to four with 15 abstentions on a Arab drafted resolution demanding that Israel rescind its policy to 'remove' Arafat from Palestinian territories.
While the United States and Israel were joined by Micronesia and Marshall Island in opposing the resolution, 15 countries including Australia, Canada, Kenya and Colombia abstained.
All 15 members of the European Union voted for the resolution after Arabs agreed at the last moment to incorporate amendments suggested by them.
The amendments condemn Palestinian suicide bombings as also targetted killings of Palestinian militants by Israel.
American UN Ambassador John Negroponte opposed the resolution as it did not specifically condemn Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade which are blamed for carrying out suicide attacks against
Israel.
Palestinian UN envoy Nasser al-Kidwa said it was 'incumbent' on the international community to take steps to prevent a 'looming combustion' of the situation in the Middle East and ensure that no harm comes to Arafat.
Describing Israeli threats against Arafat as 'illegal and insane', he urged the assembly to adopt the resolution.
But Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman, terming the resolution as 'totally useless', asserted that his country could not negotiate with those in the Palestinian leadership who were "more devoted to destroying the Jewish State than to creating a democratic and vibrant Palestine."
The resolution, he said, would do little to end the bloodshed.
The Arabs had turned to the assembly after their draft in the Security Council was vetoed by the United States.
