Palestinians celebrate Arafat's 40-day death occasion; Abbas clings to peace with Israel
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/22/2004

Chairman of the PLO executive committee Mahmoud Abbas ( Abu Mazin) stressed attachment to peace with Israel and vowed to "follow the steps of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat," calling on Israel to return back to the table of negotiations in order to reach a final solution for the conflict between the two sides.

This was expressed in a speech Abu Mazin delivered in a eulogy held by the Palestinian leadership in Ramullah on the occasion of the 40th day after the demise of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

The eulogy which was attended by thousands of Palestinians was also attended by the director of the Egyptian intelligence Lt. Gen. Omar Suleiman who arrived in the Palestinian territories where he is expected to meet Israeli security officials in order to discuss arrangements to deploy 750 Egyptian soldiers along the borders with Gaza. An agreement approved between Egypt and Israel.

The Egyptian official will be also meeting with the Palestinian Prime minister Ahmad Qurei to discuss the arrangements concerning the Palestinian elections due to be held on January 9th.

Abbas's statement came after the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom expressed his regret over earlier statements made by the Palestinian official in which he said he will preserve Arafat's heritage. Shalom alleged that Arafat's heritage means terrorism.

On an Israeli criticism which is the first of its kind since the death of the Palestinian President, the Israeli Jerusalem Post quoted Shalom as considering that Abbas's persistence on the right of the Palestinian refugees to return back to their home is "unacceptable."

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian warning against escalation in the Palestinian territories   (12/18/2004)
  Three Palestinians killed, Abbas is persistent on his position   (12/17/2004)
  al-Jazeera: Abbas defends his call to demilitarize the Palestinian Intifada   (12/16/2004)

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