UN, Sept 19: The General Assembly has scheduled an emergency meeting for Friday on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, following the US veto of a Security Council resolution demanding that Israel halt threats to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Arab and Islamic nations and the Non-Aligned Group of 116 mainly developing countries requested the meeting, which will consider the agenda item entitled "Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory." The General Assembly regularly passes resolutions supporting Palestinian positions. The Palestinian Authority has observer status but no vote in the assembly.

No country has veto power in the General Assembly, unlike in the Security Council, where the five permanent members _ the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China _ each have that power. Security Council resolutions are legally binding. General Assembly resolutions are not, but they do reflect global opinion.
Syria, the only Arab nation on the Security Council, had pressed for a council resolution after Israel decided last week to "remove" Arafat in a manner and time to be decided. Israel blames Arafat for sabotaging the peace process and doing nothing to prevent terrorist attacks.
Bureau Report