Arafat confirms that Palestinian state is to be proclaimed soon

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said that the Palestinian state will still exist and its strong pillars will be established on the Palestinian lands.

Following his return to Gaza today, coming from Algeria where he met with the new Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Arafat refused the claims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he said that the passing of May 4 without a proclamation of Palestinian statehood is an achievement for Israel.

Meanwhile, Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Legislative Council member and former Palestinian minister of higher education, said that Netanyahu's claims are just electoral propaganda.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu refused the American criticism of the Israeli campaign to build settlements in Arab occupied territories, saying that he will not present any promises to the US administration to halt the construction of settlements.