FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: Palestinians are rallying around their embattled leader, Yasser Arafat. Palestinian protests have been mounting since Israel announced its intention to send him into forced exile. The Israeli cabinet decision followed two Palestinian suicide bombings that left 15 Israelis dead. CNN's Matthew Chance is outside Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Yasser Arafat, still the focus of international concern, is still receiving visitors outside his battered compound here in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Earlier, it was the turn of hundreds of Palestinian school children, who took the day off school to come out and rally around President Arafat, a man who, of course, Israel has said it intends to evict, to expel from the occupied territories. That threat has been seen to provoke wide scale Palestinian anger around the occupied territories, people coming out, protesting against that threat, showing their support for Yasser Arafat. It's also provoked international concern, as well. The United Nations, the Arab league, the European Union, the Russians, even Israel's closest allies, the United States voicing their opposition to any move against the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat. Israel has acted with indignation, responded with indignation at this international concern, saying that it doesn't understand what the international community is crying about. CNN speaking to Ranan Given (ph), the spokesman for the Israel prime minister, Ariel Sharon. Mr. Given (ph) saying Israel has the right to self-defense and it will choose when it determines when it's right to use it. Matthew Chance, CNN, Ramallah.
Palestinians Rally Around Yasser Arafat