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| Israel-Palestine |
| Shalom to Tunisia: Decision to remove Arafat still stands |
| 2004-09-21 |
| By HERB KEINON / The Jerusalem Post Sep. 20th, 2004 Israel's 2003 cabinet decision to remove Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat at the appropriate time has not been rescinded and remains the government's policy, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told his Tunisian counterpart Habib Ben Yahia at a meeting in New York Monday morning. Shalom began a week of meetings with dozens of statesman who poured into New York over the weekend for the 59th meeting of the UN General Assembly. Shalom was slated to take part in a Seeds of Peace symposium later Monday chaired by former US Secretary of State James Baker, and including Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, Arab League chairman Amr Moussa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, and Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi. Israeli diplomatic officials said that during Shalom's meeting with the Tunisian foreign minister, their third in the last 18 months, Ben Yahia inquired about what Israel plans to do with Arafat. The sources said that the Tunisian foreign minister also felt Shalom out about the possibility of holding talks with Palestinians in Tunisia. Shalom, according to Israeli sources, did not rule out the idea, and said that Israel is always prepared to hold dialogue with moderate Palestinians. Tunisia froze its diplomatic ties with Israel shortly after the outbreak of violence in September 2000, and the issue of bilateral relations was discussed in Monday's 90-minute meeting. Shalom, who is slated to address the General Assembly on Thursday, is scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #1 Sounds pragmatic maybe. |
| Posted by: Info for You. 2004-09-21 1:52:22 AM |