Israel Threatens to Stop Arafat From Attending OIC Summit
WASHINGTON D.C., Dec. 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Israel threatened to keep Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from attending Monday's ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) after Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in Cairo Saturday that Arafat may be traveling to Doha for the summit.
"I believe that the Palestinian [Authority] president, Yasser Arafat, will participate in the meeting [of the OIC] and we will hear from him a report on the situation" in the Palestinian territories, Mussa told the press Saturday.
Arafat's visit to Qatar would mark his first trip outside of the West Bank town of Ramallah since the Israeli raids on the Palestinian territories started Monday.
The OIC meeting will cover "recent developments in the Palestinian territories, and means to obtain the cessation of Israeli aggressions and bombardment against Palestinian installations and infrastructure," according to a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, Agence France-Press (AFP) reported.
An extraordinary meeting of Arab League foreign ministers due to have been held in Doha on Sunday was cancelled, but the foreign ministers of the 22-member organization will nevertheless meet on the sidelines of the OIC meeting to decide on a new date.
Arafat asked Monday to hold an urgent summit of the OIC to "examine Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians," after Israel launched raids against symbols of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza, the latest of which came today as Israeli occupation forces attacked Arafat's personal guard, Force 17, injuring 20 people.
But Israel claimed today has the "right" to stop Arafat from traveling outside the Palestinian territories, a senior Israeli political official told AFP on Saturday.
"Any request to travel by Arafat will be examined and we reserve ourselves the right to reject it or accept it, depending on the situation on the ground," the official said on the condition of anonymity.
Arafat is currently in the West Bank town of Ramallah, which is under an Israeli-enforced blockade.
