An Israeli settler was seriously wounded in a shooting attack Monday afternoon between the West Bank cities of Nablus and Tulkarm, Israel Radio reported. He suffered chest and shoulder injuries after attackers tried to snatch his weapon.
The assault occurred west of Nablus. Israel Radio reported that the settler managed to fire his weapon and kill one of his assailants.
A member of the al-Aqsa brigades, a group linked to Fatah, claimed responsibility for the attack. It declared one of the gunmen was killed in an exchange of fire in the attack. An anonymous member of this group told Reuters: "We are expressing anger at (the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's decision to ban Arafat from leaving Ramallah for Bethlehem."
The Vatican condemns Israel
The Vatican on Monday condemned Israel's ban on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from travelling to Bethlehem as "arbitrarily imposed" and said it had tried to convince Israel to reverse its decision.
In order to try to create a more conciliatory climate in the area, the Secretariat of State has taken a diplomatic step to try to avoid this ban, which was arbitrarily imposed," chief Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said.
Earlier Monday, a senior Israeli political source told the press that the government would lift the ban on Arafat's annual Christmas pilgrimage to Bethlehem if the Palestinian Authority arrested the assassins of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi by Monday evening.
Arafat Determined
For his part, Arafat said Monday that he is determined to make his annual pilgrimage to Bethlehem to attend Christmas midnight mass celebration. "No one can humiliate the Palestinians or make them lose their determination," Arafat told reporters after his meeting with Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land.
Asked whether he intended to go to Bethlehem, Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo answered on behalf of the President, saying: "Yes, yes, of course, see you tonight in Bethlehem."
Sabbah, said he came to show his support for Arafat. "The dignity of President Arafat is the dignity of all of us," said Sabbah. "The occupation situation is unfair to the Palestinians and they have to have their freedom. This is the message of Christmas." He added.
Sharon Backs Peres
After Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres threatened a coalition crisis Monday unless Prime Minister Ariel Sharon publicly supported the continuation of his contacts with senior Palestinian Authority officials, the two issued a joint declaration saying the talks were being held with the prime minister's knowledge.
In recent days, Israeli media have reported that after weeks of secret talks, Peres and Palestinian Parliament Speaker Abu Ala had forged a draft accord that would provide for an independent Palestinian state as a prelude to further talks on an overall peace deal.
Sharon, pressed by right-wing politicians to fire Peres for having held "negotiations under fire" contrary to the prime minister's oft-repeated pledges to refrain from such talks, repudiated the reported draft, labelling it "dangerous" on Sunday.
"The talks being conducted by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, with Abu Ala and others, are aimed at bringing an end to terror, violence and incitement, so as to enable, after terror ceases, progress in the diplomatic process," the statement read. "The talks being conducted by the foreign minister are with the knowledge of the prime minister as he has said already at a number of cabinet meetings in the past."
Earlier Monday, Peres told a meeting of Labor legislators that if Sharon refused to support his contacts, the Labor party would reconsider whether it should stay in the coalition. (Albawaba.com)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
