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Israel's Refusal of Withdrawal A Mockery of UN Positions: Arafat
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reiterated on Tuesday that Israel's refusal to withdraw its troops from the Palestinian-controlled areas is a sign of mockery of the U.N. and U.S. positions on the Palestinian issue.
Arafat made the remarks at a press conference after his meeting with visiting Luxemburg Foreign Minister Lydie Polfer at the presidential office in Gaza.
After briefing his guest on the situation in the Palestinian territories under the Israeli occupation, Arafat said: "The number of countries that recognize the Palestinian state is bigger than that of countries recognizing Israel."
Asked about Israel's demand to hand over the assassins of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi, Arafat said "the Israeli police declared they arrested 3 persons who were at the hotel where Ze'evi was assassinated."
Following Ze'evi's assassination last week, the Israeli authority issued a ultimatum, demanding Arafat hand over the assassins or face serious consequences.
As a response, the Israeli army and tanks then entered six Palestinian-controlled towns in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian leader also complained about the continuation of the Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian-controlled towns of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
On the same occasion, Lydie Polfer renewed Luxemburg's position that the Palestinians have their legitimate right of establishing an independent state.
Polfer underscored the importance of making more serious efforts by both Israelis and Palestinians to relaunch the peace talks, noting that her country is among the strongest advocates of the lasting peace in the Mideast.
She also expressed the concerns about the escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, which broke out in September last year and claimed over 800 lives, most were Palestinians.
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