Arab MK claims Israel 'murdered' Yasser Arafat

Many Palestinians continue to believe that Arafat was poisoned by Israel because he was an obstacle to peace. Israel has denied any involvement.

Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (photo credit: REUTERS)
Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
(photo credit: REUTERS)
MK Yousef Jabareen (Joint List) claimed that Israel 'murdered' former Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat Monday afternoon in an interview with the Knesset Channel.
"I don't have any scientific evidence but political circumstances lead me to believe that Israel murdered him [Arafat]," Jabareen stated.
The interviewer asked Jabareen multiple times whether he actually believes this, to which he replied he believed it to be 'the correct version' of what happened.
Jabareen added that Israel had great 'political interest' to kill him, and that's exactly what they did.
Arafat died four weeks after falling ill after a meal, suffering from vomiting and stomach pains.
The medical report published after Arafat’s death listed the immediate cause as a massive brain hemorrhage resulting from an infection. Doctors ruled out foul play; some had contended that Arafat died of AIDS.
At the demand of his widow, his remains were exhumed in 2012 and examined separately by French, Russian and Swiss experts.
The Swiss reported their results were consistent with but not proof of poisoning by reactive polonium. The French concluded he did not die of poisoning and Russian experts were reported to have found no traces of polonium in his body.
Many Palestinians continue to believe that Arafat was poisoned by Israel because he was an obstacle to peace. Israel has denied any involvement.