Gary Fitleberg, November 28, 2004

Arafat was born in Cairo Egypt. But his political propaganda ministers continue to seek to perpetuate a lie and myth that he was born in Jerusalem.

Israel's ambassador to France demanded that Yasser Arafat's death certificate show he was born in Cairo.

Ha'aretz reported Sunday that Nissim Zvili sent a letter of protest to the French municipality of Clamart, which listed Arafat as having been born in Jerusalem when he died at a local hospital on Nov. 11. "I cannot understand how the French government agreed to issue a death certificate based on false information," Zvili told reporters Friday.

Arafat´s claim to have been born in Jerusalem, a core element of Palestinian propaganda, is disputed by biographers and historians, who say he was born in Cairo while his father was working there.

According to Zvili, Arafat's widow, Suha, registered the Arab "Palestinian" ruler as being born in Jerusalem after their birth of their daughter several years ago in Paris.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg