Yasser Araft is recovering

Palestinian officials denied information which talked about the deterioration of health conditions of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, stressing that he is in a good health condition and is recovering from a severe cold.

The negotiations affairs minister Saeb Oreikat denied that the Palestinian authority had asked Israel to permit transporting Arafat to hospital, stressing that he is enjoying good health condition and is recovering; while Nabil Abu Rudinah the advisor of the Palestinian President said that the Israeli authorities disseminate "rumors" against Arafat.

Israeli sources stressed that the Israeli authorities permitted Arafat to leave his headquarters since three years in Ramullah in the West Bank and to head for the city's hospital.

In another development, the American national security advisor Gonzaliza Rice called on foreign leaders to boycott President Arafat in order to pressure him to quit his post.

Rice considered that quitting Arafat will pave the way for an independent prime minister to re-arrange the Palestinian security forces which she had accused of corruption.

Rice said in a speech before a group to raising support for the US President George W. Bush in his electoral campaign that Arafat can be convinced that the land can be returned back to the Palestinians. A matter which he is seeking for since years and it is time that he has to quit aside.