Mr. Prime Minister
Your Excellency

The spiral of violence in the Middle East and the dramatic situation in Ramallah, as well as the fact that a high Israeli official announced that the objective of the siege of the Headquarters of the Palestinian Authority President, is meant to drive Yasser Arafat into exile, demands from the Portuguese government an urgent intervention in the European Union and the UN.

The behaviour of the Israeli Prime Minister and his government is intolerable, violating all international rules and disregarding UN Security Council Resolutions, professing the right to attack Yasser Arafat, killing soldiers accompanying him, methodically demolishing his residence, depriving him from that which is essential to his life and the fulfilment of his duties which, by full international recognition, were democratically entrusted to him by the Palestinian people.

The pretexts invoked by the Israeli are all the more unacceptable, when it is publicly known that the Palestinian Authority has been engaged in a return to negotiations, having condemned the recent Hamas attacks.

Portugal has to make its voice heard, in the European Union and the UN General Assembly, demanding that the Israeli government lift its siege on the President of the Palestinian Authority, ensuring his safety and free circulation.

On our part, we consider that the Portuguese government has the political and ethical obligation to carry out all initiatives aiming at the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories, complying with the UN Resolutions.

With respectful compliments,

Carlos Carvalhas
PCP General Secretary