Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hasn't visited the West Bank cities since early October due to fears that Jewish settlers might try to kill him, reported the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, quoting officials close to him as saying.
According to the paper, Arafat hasn't visited the West Bank since October 3, a few days after the outbreak of the Al Aqsa Intifada.
"Though he has traveled abroad dozens of times during the ten weeks of fighting, he has returned each time by helicopter or airplane to the Rafah airstrip in Gaza," said one source.
He added that "Arafat is convinced that Jewish extremists could harm him, perhaps by means of an attack with a lone M-16 rifle."
Haaretz added that security concerns, however, are not the only reasons that have stopped Arafat from setting foot in the West Bank.
Arafat is worried that Palestinian leaders in the area might submit a series of demands that he would be unable to meet, the sources said.
In addition, the Palestinian President fears that under certain circumstances, Israel might keep him trapped in the West Bank, blocking his return to Gaza and effectively rendering him a prisoner in Ramallah, said the paper.
Arafat, whose headquarters and residence are located in Gaza, was shown last week carrying a gun as he flew back home after talks in Egypt.
He said Jewish settlers, who attacked Palestinian civilians shortly after his return, were escalating the situation in the Palestinian lands.
Israeli has recently sent troops to tighten security around the Jewish settlements -- Albawaba.com
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