Radical left-wing activists spent the day again today with Yasser Arafat in the Mukata. Long-time left-winger Uri Avneri and others from Gush Shalom were in his company on the holy day of Yom Kippur yesterday, as a means of protecting the PA chairman from an Israeli effort to "remove" him. "It's clear that the Haifa attack was designed to cause Sharon to kill Arafat," Avneri said today, "so without even thinking twice, I knew that I had to come here to prevent this from happening."
This is not the first time that Avneri has not been stopped from entering the Mukata, despite the standing orders banning Israelis from entering Area A [PA-controlled area]. The Binyamin District police informed Arutz-7's Kobi Sela this morning that they plan to summon Avneri to explain his actions. Sela asked Avneri today if he feared being arrested, and Avneri said, "There's nothing that can stop me from working for peace. If they arrest me, there will be a trial, and we'll see what the judges of Israel say."
A photograph of Avneri next to a smiling Arafat, apparently taken yesterday, was widely circulated in the Israeli media today.
This is not the first time that Avneri has not been stopped from entering the Mukata, despite the standing orders banning Israelis from entering Area A [PA-controlled area]. The Binyamin District police informed Arutz-7's Kobi Sela this morning that they plan to summon Avneri to explain his actions. Sela asked Avneri today if he feared being arrested, and Avneri said, "There's nothing that can stop me from working for peace. If they arrest me, there will be a trial, and we'll see what the judges of Israel say."
A photograph of Avneri next to a smiling Arafat, apparently taken yesterday, was widely circulated in the Israeli media today.