Bethlehem blockade is lifted

12 April 2012

Israel today announced an end to its blockade of Bethlehem as a Christmas gesture but upheld its travel ban on Yasser Arafat in defiance of international protests.

The Palestinian leader will not be able to attend Orthodox Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem on 6 January unless he arrests the killers of Israeli cabinet minister Rehavam Zeevi, the government said.

Defence minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Israel was lifting the blockade to ease access to holy sites during the Christmas season. The roadblocks have choked off the town throughout most of the 15 months of Palestinian-Israeli fighting.

The move came as Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon assured critics in his right-wing Likud party that moderate foreign minister Shimon Peres will not lead future peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

"When the day comes for peace talks, I will run them," he said.

In recent weeks Mr Peres and Palestinian parliament speaker Ahmed Qureia have been informally discussing a framework for a possible peace deal which would begin with Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state. Mr Sharon has come under fire from his hardline constituents for not stopping the talks.

Sharon insisted again today that there can be no peace negotiations before all violence stops. But he added: "The contacts can continue on a specific issue to aid us in reaching an end to terrorism and to a ceasefire."

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