Israel's Peres rejects Arafat poisoning theory
Israeli President Shimon Peres rejected theories that Yasser
Arafat was poisoned, telling a Mexican newspaper Tuesday that any assassin would
have found it easier to shoot the Palestinian leader.
Swiss scientists have found that lab test results
"moderately" backed the idea that Arafat died of polonium poisoning
in 2004.
"I don't believe it," Peres told Excelsior
newspaper in an interview ahead of a visit to Mexico. "If someone had
wanted to get rid of Arafat, it would have been easier to do it with a
bullet."
Peres shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Arafat and
Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin after signing the Oslo peace accords. Rabin
was assassinated by a Jewish right-wing extremist in 1995.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called last week for an
international inquiry to decide who was responsible for Arafat's death.
Visiting Mexico with an 80-strong Israeli business delegation,
Peres will hold talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday before
meeting with the world's second richest man, telecommunications tycoon Carlos
Slim.
On Thursday, Peres will inaugurate the Mexico-Israel
Economic Forum and deliver a speech to the Senate.
He heads to the western city of Guadalajara on Friday to
attend an international book fair where Israel is the guest of honor. He leaves
Mexico on Sunday.
Israel's invitation to the biggest book fair in the Spanish-speaking
world was criticised by a group of leftist intellectuals, who demanded that
Palestinians be invited to the next event.
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