EU envoy shaken as Israeli missiles hit Ramallah
Ian Black in Brussels
Friday March 8, 2002
The Guardian
The European Union called on Israel to lift its siege of Yasser
Arafat yesterday after its envoy came under helicopter attack
while meeting the beleaguered Palestinian leader.
Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, spoke to Mr Arafat
and the union's Middle East envoy, Miguel Moratinos, moments
after missiles struck close to the Palestinian leader's compound
late on Wednesday.
Speaking in Brussels, Mr Solana made it clear Europe wanted
Israel to let Mr Arafat move freely so he could attend the Arab
summit in Beirut later this month, where leaders are to discuss
a Saudi peace initiative seen as the only hope of ending the
bloody impasse.
"If we are to have a summit that is positive and constructive,
Arafat has to be there," Mr Solana said.
Two rockets fired from an Israeli Apache helicopter struck
several minutes apart as Mr Moratinos, a Spanish diplomat, held
talks in Mr Arafat's office in the West Bank town of Ramallah,
which has been surrounded by Israeli tanks since December.
"We don't know where it hit, but it was very, very close," said
the envoy's spokesman, Javier Sancho. The lights went out and
the EU delegation was escorted out by torchlight.
The windows were blown out in the room where the two had
been just moments before. Israel's foreign minister, Shimon
Peres, was speaking to Mr Arafat by telephone at the time. The
Palestinian leader held out the phone and asked "Do you hear
this?" when one of the missiles struck.
"Shimon, I'm being bombed," an Israeli newspaper quoted Mr
Arafat as saying. It said Mr Peres replied: "I am very sorry. I will
do all I can to stop the bombing immediately."
Mr Peres, who has been saying publicly that force alone cannot
bring about a resolution, declined to comment yesterday.
Officials in Brussels said the fact that Mr Moratinos may have
been in danger was no "big deal", but underlined the gravity of a
situation in which such attacks have become commonplace.
EU foreign ministers are to discuss the escalating crisis when
they meet in Brussels next Monday, but they have no magic
formula to end the bloodshed. It is also likely to dominate the
weekend EU summit in Barcelona.
France, Spain and other countries would like to see a more
distinctive EU approach, including new elections to the
Palestinian Authority to renew Mr Arafat's mandate.
Britain and Germany - backed by Mr Solana - fear new polls
might bring defeat for Mr Arafat at the hands of more radical
groups. "There is a high level of frustration at our inability to
influence events," said a diplomat.
Mr Sharon ignored unusually strong criticism from Colin Powell,
the US secretary of state, who suggested Israel's policy was
leading nowhere.
Ever defiant, Mr Arafat said: "If they believe there is anyone in
this land who fears their tanks or planes, they are wrong," he
told reporters.
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