Israel prevents Aznar from talking to Arafat

The Israeli forces prevented the Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, whose country presides over the current rotating presidency of the European Union from talking by telephone with the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat.

The Spanish daily " al-Mondo " issued on Wednesday said that Aznar tried on Sunday for four times to talk to the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat but the line was broken every time Arafat answered Aznar's call.

Al-Mondo added that Aznar asked for explanations from the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon about that.

In his capacity as the current President for the European Union, Aznar on Tuesday sent a message to Sharon in which he stressed the need of putting an end to the attacks against Ramullah and pulling out the Israeli army from the city, returning back waters and the electricity current and providing the headquarters of the besieged Arafat with foodstuffs and to facilitate his communications with world officials.