Abbas’ advisor repeats libel Arafat was murdered with poison by Israelis

Al-Arabiya TV, interview with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Foreign Affairs and International Relations Nabil Shaath on the Polical Memoirs program

Official PA TV host: “Did [Yasser Arafat] die due to the consequences of the siege (i.e., during the counter-terror Operation Defensive Shield; see note below), or was he killed by poison during the siege?”
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Foreign Affairs and International Relations Nabil Shaath: “No, the Israelis killed him with poison. I have no doubt of that, not even a millionth of a doubt! (sic., claims that Israel poisoned Arafat have been disproven by international investigations –Ed.).”
Host: “Why are you so certain? Do you have [confirmed] information on the matter?”
Nabil Shaath: “Sir, this man, Yasser Arafat, was imprisoned in his office for a long period.”
Host: “But the whole world came to visit him.”
Nabil Shaath: “No, no, wait a second. All food came through the Israelis. They besieged him from outside. Every cup of water came through the Israelis. Every pill of medicine– Yasser Arafat had several diseases and he required medicines on a daily basis. You can check the water before you give it to him; someone will drink it and wait several hours to see if there’s something in it. You can check the food. But the medicines-”
Host: “There are other ways aside from the medicines – through an embrace [or] handshake.”
Nabil Shaath: “There are several ways. If Yasser Arafat had been in a place under his control we could be skeptical [ about whether or not he was poisoned], but he was under [the Israelis’] full control in terms of food, water, and air.”
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In the interview with Nabil Shaath, the interviewer referred to "the siege." In response to the many suicide bombings during the PA terror campaign in 2000-2005 (the second Intifada), and as an attempt to destroy the Palestinian terror infrastructure, Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002 - a large Israeli military operation - during which Israel also put Arafat under siege in the PA headquarters in Ramallah and invaded six of the largest West Bank cities.