European Parliament with majority of 430 votes invites Arafat for a speech
Palestine-European Union, Politics, 2/8/2002

The European Parliament has invited the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat to deliver a speech before it. It criticized the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon over saying that he "regrets he did not kill the Palestinian leader in 1982 when he besieged him in Beirut." Arafat, actually is under home arrest at his residence in Ramullah, imposed by Israeli tanks since December 2001.

The official in charge of foreign policy and security at the European parliament Javier Solana told the European Parliament on Tuesday that Arafat is still the legitimate negotiator in the peace talks despite Israel's rejection.

The European Parliament, however, voted with a majority of 430 votes against 15 and with 22 abstained for inviting Arafat and the Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres, noting that both Arafat and Peres shared the Noble Prize for peace in 1994.

Meantime, the legislative body of the EU said in a released decision that it was shocked by the interview made by the Israeli daily Maareve with the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon in which Sharon regretted he did not kill Arafat 20 years ago. The interview was published last week.

The European Parliament has called on the two sides to end violence, including " the terrorist attacks" against Israeli citizens, the " killing acts without trial" conducted by the Israeli security forces and to take measures in order to resume peace negotiations.

Previous Stories:
  France, Germany renew commitment to ME peace   (2/6/2002)
  Moratinos calls for meeting ambitions of Palestinians to build an independent state   (2/2/2002)
  European Union to implement the Tenet cease-fire Plan and the Mitchell Committee recommendations   (2/1/2002)
  Israel's Sharon: sorry Arafat was not eliminated in 1982   (1/31/2002)

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