Arab astonishment toward US declarations concerning Israel joining the European group

Arab diplomatic sources in Cairo expressed astonishment toward the statements made by Richard Holbrooke, the US delegate at the UN, in which he said that he and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will not get bored talking weekly, if not daily, about asking the Europeans to accept Israel's membership to the European geographical group inside the UN.

Israel failed throughout 50 years to join the group because it violates United Nations resolutions.

The Arab diplomatic sources said concerning the current talks about the right of the Palestinian refugees to return as well as United Nations resolution No 194 concerning the right of return that Holbrooke's statements "make us wonder" and want to ask him to talk about this resolution and about the Palestinians as well as the importance of their return home, even once a year, especially as this subjects is currently raised on the final status negotiating table between the Palestinians and the Israelis.