Israel confiscates Palestinian officials' papers
Palestine, Politics, 3/19/1999

Israel revoked special travel permits and privileges for three Palestinian lawmakers who participated in a meeting with a group of European officials at the PLO's Orient House in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had vowed earlier to prevent diplomatic activity at the building, summoned the European Union's Mideast envoy after the visit.

European officials visited the PLO's headquarters in Al Quds on Thursday, defying an Israeli ban on diplomatic activity at the building.

Diplomats from Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and other European Union nations as well as representatives from Canada and Australia attended the meeting.

The European officials visited the Orient House two days after German ambassador Theodore Wallau said in a letter that the EU views Jerusalem as a "corpus separatum" -a separate entity - based on U.N. resolutions. Germany is the current holder of the EU presidency.

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, but Israel says it will never relinquish sovereignty.

Israel captured the eastern part of the city and later annexed in the 1967 Mideast war.

Hanan Ashrawi, one of the lawmakers who had their travel privileges revoked for being at the meeting, said the Palestinians do not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the city.

Previous Stories:
  More ID cards confiscated in Jerusalem   (9/4/1998)
  Under Israeli conditions, Annan cancels al-Aqsa visit   (3/27/1998)
  Ras Al Amoud showdown: the other side of the conflict   (9/19/1997)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search