Israel Allows Arafat to Leave Ramallah Compound

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 25, 2002

Israel Allows Arafat to Leave Ramallah Compound

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The Israeli security cabinet decided Sunday morning to allow Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Yasser Arafat to leave his compound in the West Bankcity of Ramallah, in which he has been under house arrest by the Israeli army for more than two months.

However, Arafat will not be allowed to leave the city, accordingto Israel Radio.

If Arafat wants to move to other parts of the Palestinian territories, he must submit an official request to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the report said.

The decision was passed after 12 of the 14 members of the security cabinet voted in favor and two abstained.

The meeting was called after the PNA arrested suspects in the murder of former cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi, who was shot deadin a hotel in Jerusalem last October by gunmen from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Israeli Defense Minister and Labor Party's Chairman Binyamin BenEliezer suggested on Thursday that Sharon lift the ban on Arafat, citing that it will help resume negotiations with the PNA.

There was no excuse for Israel to continue the house arrest on Arafat because he has arrested, according to Israel's demands, the suspects, PFLP leader Ahmed Sa'adat, and the hatcher behind the Karine A weapon-smuggling affair, said Ben Eliezer.

However, Sharon objected the proposal, saying that Arafat had not met all of the demands that Israel had said should be met before he could leave the city.

National Infrastructures Minister Avigdor Lieberman from the far-right party bloc of National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, threatenedon Saturday to resign from the government if Arafat's travel ban islifted.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing and Construction Minister Natan Sharansky is also opposed to lifting the ban, while calling for the suspects to stand trial in another country to ensure that the arrests are not just a political ploy by Arafat.

The website of Israeli Ha'aretz daily reported on Sunday that representatives from Sharon's office, the United States, Egypt and Jordan reached a compromise on the issue over the weekend, claimingthat Israel will allow Arafat to leave Ramallah if the following conditions are met:

Arafat will be allowed to leave Ramallah after the Jewish festival of Purim this week, only if he arrests all those involved in the Ze'evi assassination and the Karine A affairs, and puts themon trial.

Arafat will initially be allowed to move only between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If there is a significant reduction in violence, he will be allowed to attend the Arab League's conferencein Lebanon in late March.

Israel will reserve the right to re-impose the travel ban on Arafat if he does not meet all of his commitments.

Israel will give a guarantee to the U.S. that it will neither hurt Arafat nor prevent him from returning to the territories, should he visit overseas.

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