Prime Minister Sharon, ill with the flu, was forced to cancel most of his schedule for today, including meetings with the Cabinet, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, and representatives of the handicapped. He spoke by phone with Straw, who conveyed to him UK Prime Minister Blair’s invitation to visit England in the near future.
For Yasser Arafat, on the other hand, today is a big day for meetings. He met first with UN Middle East envoy Terje Larsen, and will meet this evening with Minister Straw and a Russian diplomatic envoy. Straw said he would tell Arafat that the first thing he must do is to take measures against the Palestinian terrorism. Leading UN officials Kofi Anan and Mary Robinson called upon Israel to respect Arafat\'s \"civil rights\" and release him from his siege in Ramallah.
For Yasser Arafat, on the other hand, today is a big day for meetings. He met first with UN Middle East envoy Terje Larsen, and will meet this evening with Minister Straw and a Russian diplomatic envoy. Straw said he would tell Arafat that the first thing he must do is to take measures against the Palestinian terrorism. Leading UN officials Kofi Anan and Mary Robinson called upon Israel to respect Arafat\'s \"civil rights\" and release him from his siege in Ramallah.