Fiqi: Israel has gone beyond all limits

"Israel has recently transgressed all red lines by barring Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from participating in the Christmas mass in Bethlehem, and proceeding with its blackmailing of the world," said Head of the People's Assembly Foreign Relations Committee, Moustafa Al-Fiqi.

In an interview with the Egyptian TV late Tuesday, Fiqi said that Arafat has gained much of the Israeli measure.

"The Vatican described the move as coercive, most European countries deplored it while the US remained lip-sealed.

There is an apparent Israeli attempt to transform Arafat into a policeman who receives orders from Israel which does not even allow him to implement them properly," said Fiqi.

Though everybody understands the connotations very well, they are still hypocrite and ingratiating themselves with Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon and refraining from, at least, criticizing Israel, he added, spelling out his absolute surprise.

The martyrdom operations that took place during Sharon's visit to Washington enabled him to blame violence on the Palestinians, said Fiqi, He called on the Palestinians to review the situation for the good of their cause, noting that the world public opinion will finally weigh in favour of the Palestinians once they toned down their "legitimate" resistance operations.

"I do not ask, for a termination of resistance or Intifada but rather a concentration on accepted forms of resistance," he added.

"The Arab World should be aware that the current situation on the world arena does not favour a hardline attitude with Osama Ben Laden being dubbed as responsible for the September 11 attacks," said Fiqi.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister called on the US to attack Somalia claiming that the remaining Al-Qaeda fighters are there, said the chief of the parliamentary committee.

He added that the US was forced out of Somalia in early the 1990s and it may seek to strike back to restore lost dignity.

"The world should get to know that Arab countries had started to accept, voluntarily, an Israeli existence as long as the Palestinians will get their full rights but Israel revolted and backtracked on the Mideast peace process," he added.

He expected that Israel may soon harm Al-Aqsa Mosque after suspending prayers in Bethlehem.

"The Arab world's political discourse should address the future, regional cooperation and peaceful co-existence," Fiqi said. He added that the Arabs accept Israel along with a Palestinian State with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as capital.