Former PA Foreign Minister: Israel assassinated Arafat

“Nasser Al-Qidwa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute for the Commemoration of Yasser Arafat [and former PA Foreign Minister], said: ‘Ten entire years have passed since the Martyrdom (Shahada) of our founding leader Yasser Arafat, and we have not yet arrived at a Palestinian state, while the challenges and obstacles in [our] path have increased.’ He added: ‘Today, we must draw inspiration from Arafat’s legacy vis-à-vis Israel’s arbitrary policy – in Jerusalem in particular and in Palestine in general. Israel assassinated Arafat using polonium, and is still acting to damage his reputation in the eyes of the world.’ He noted that Israel’s assassination of President Arafat was not only meant to dispose of our people’s elected president, but also in order to damage the Palestinian enterprise and [our] unified identity, and to geographically divide the homeland.”