/ 7 May 2001

THINK OF THE CHILDREN, SAYS ARAFAT

PALESTINIAN leader Yasser Arafat made an impassioned plea to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to agree to peace in the Middle East Thursday in a speech to a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference in Pretoria. “I … would like to say to Mr Sharon: My commitment is for peace and stability for your children and my children in the Middle East region,” Arafat said. His declaration came amid a flurry of international moves to kickstart the peace process and as Sharon accused Arafat of having taken a strategic decision to continue attacks against Israelis. – AFP