Palestinians snub Italian premier

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will not be allowed to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas if he refuses to meet veteran leader Yasser Arafat, a Palestinian official said today.

Berlusconi arrived in Israel today for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Moshe Katsav before heading to Jordan and Egypt for further talks aimed at encouraging Mideast peace making efforts.

Sharon has said he will not meet world leaders who also meet Arafat, whom he accuses of fomenting attacks against Israel. Israel says that by meeting Arafat world leaders are undermining the authority of Abbas.

However European diplomats have continued to meet Arafat in his partially destroyed Ramallah headquarters.

The Palestinians appeared to be parrying Israel’s efforts to sideline Arafat by refusing to allow Berlusconi to meet Abbas.

“There will be no meeting with the Italian prime minister, unless he is also willing to meet with President Arafat,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said.

Berlusconi, whose country takes up the rotating helm of the EU next month, has made no request to meet Arafat during his visit, Shaath said.

Berlusconi’s trip sparked criticism at home because he was supposed to appear at his corruption trial in Milan on Wednesday. Some critics have said he is trying to keep busy with as many trips and meetings as possible to draw out his trial.