Beshara stops organizing visits of Palestinians of 1948 to their relatives in Syria
Israel-Syria, Politics, 2/22/2001

The Arab member at the Israeli Knesset Azmi Beshara decided on Wednesday to stop organizing visits of the elderly among the Palestinians of 1948 to their relatives residents in Syria. This measure was in light of the decision taken by the Israeli police to open investigations against those Palestinians. Beshara said that this suspension is temporary.

This issue( the visit of elderly Palestinians to Syria) constituted a great controversy not only between the Israeli police and Beshara but also in the lines of certain Arab forces inside Israel which considered that arranging such visits is a political gain for the political movement, Beshara leads.

In his first statement about this matter, Beshara accused certain Arab figures in Israeli or provoking against these visits.

Some of these Palestinian figures called for taking the arrangements of visits to Syria from Bureau's office and to hand it to the higher follow up committee.

Meantime, the Israeli daily Maareve noted that the mother of the advisor for the elect Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon for the Arab affairs Samir Wahbeh and his brother Majli Wahbeh, the candidate for a ministerial post, were among the elderly who visited their relatives in Syria and that she will be among those who will be investigated by the Israeli police. Samir Wahbi's mother is 78 year old and she was in a visit of members of her family in Syria two weeks ago.

Israeli deputy war minister Afraem Seneh said that he considers these visits to " an enemy state " as a violation of laws.

Previous Stories:
  On Azmi Beshara and Knesset immunity   (2/17/2001)
  Azmi Beshara is persistent on his position after government investigations   (12/16/2000)
  Six Palestinians killed on Friday by Israeli bullets   (11/18/2000)

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