by Stephen Lendman

Overall French/Israeli ties are longstanding. France's ambassador to Israel, Patrick Maisonneuve, said President Francois Hollande "is a close friend of the State of Israel."

Netanyahu said both countries work closely together "to advance and deepen bilateral strategic and economic relations."

The relationship includes supporting the worst crimes both countries commit. Their rap sheets are long and loathesome.

Israel murdered Yasser Arafat. Polonium poisoning killed him. Switzerland's Radiophysique (SR) analysis proved it. SR director Dr. Francois Bochud said:

"I can confirm to you that we measured an unexplained, elevated amount of unsupported polonium-210 in the belongings of Mr. Arafat that contained stains of biological fluids."

On November 6, Al Jazeera headlined "Exclusive: Swiss study says Polonium found in Arafat's bones."

Scientists examined his remains. They found levels at least 18 times above normal. It's clear evidence he was poisoned.

Lausanne-based University Centre of Legal Medicine published a 108-page report. Al Jazeera obtained a copy.

Unnaturally high polonium levels were found in Arafat's ribs, pelvis, and "soil stained with his decaying organs."

France claims otherwise. Coverup and denial is longstanding official policy. More on that below.

Ariel Sharon targeted Arafat for elimination. Previous articles discussed it. Labor party MK Haim Ramon said:

"Sharon wants Arafat to disappear and for a moderate Palestinian leadership to replace him."

"What is happening is what we see now: the de facto destruction of what is left of the Palestinian Authority and Israel's full or almost full re-occupation of the West Bank and Gaza."

Veteran Israeli journalist/Sharon confidant/one time spokesman Uri Dan believed Sharon killed Arafat.

He discussed it in his book titled "Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait." He believed George Bush approved it. He said Arafat was poisoned.

His longtime physician, Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi, said so. On August 12, 2007, Haaretz headlined "Arafat's doctor: There was HIV in his blood, but poison killed him."

In September 2005, he said "any doctor would tell you that (Arafat's symptoms reflected) poisoning."

On November 19, Michel Chossudovsky quoted Tanya Reinhart's comment on a 2000 Israeli document.

It was "prepared by the (Israeli) security services, at the request of then Prime Minister Ehud Barak."

It said " 'Arafat, the person, is a severe threat to the security of the state (of Israel) and the damage which will result from his disappearance is less than the damage caused by his existence.' "

Assassinating Arafat "was part of the 2001 Dagan Plan," said Chossudovsky. "In all likelihood, it was carried out by Israeli Intelligence."

Mossad has a long bloodstained targeted assassination history. Coldblooded murder is official Israeli policy.

Before his death, Arafat said he survived 40 attempts on his life. His former aide, Hani al-Hassan, said he personally witnessed it 13 times.

Arafat became more liability than asset. Israel wanted a subservient Palestinian puppet leader replacing him.

They chose longtime collaborator Mahmoud Abbas. They rigged his election. He has no legitimacy whatever.

He enforces Israeli policy. He betrays his own people in the process. He accumulated enormous wealth doing so.

He belongs in prison, not high office. Why Palestinians put up with him, they must explain.

Perhaps he collaborated with Mossad against Arafat. Maybe he was directly involved. It wouldn't surprise.

In 2004, he was complicit in covering up what happened. He had everything to gain. Israel got what it paid for.

On December 3, Reuters headlined "Arafat did not die of poisoning, French tests conclude."

Saying so counters clear Swiss evidence. "A senior Palestinian official dismissed the report as 'politicized,' " said Reuters.

Arafat's widow, Suha, challenged France's claim, saying:

"You can imagine how much I am shaken by the contradictions between the findings of the best experts in Europe in this domain."

"I am accusing no one. This is in the hands of justice and it is just the beginning."

In late 2004, Arafat became seriously ill in Ramallah. He was flown to Paris for treatment. On November 11, 2004, he died.

It wasn't natural. He was assassinated. Israel had clear opportunity motive, and expertise. Failed previous attempts showed they wanted him dead.

Polonium is slow-acting. It took its time killing him. In mid-October 2004, Arafat became suspiciously ill after ingesting a meal.

Initial symptoms were nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Hours earlier he was in good health.

Scientists called acute gastrointestinal symptoms "compatible with ingestion of a large quantity of radioactivity."

"No other cause to explain the onset of the symptoms could be identified."

French doctors claimed they couldn't diagnose his illness. Why they inadequately explained. They claimed he died of a massive stroke. They were complicit in coverup.

No autopsy followed Arafat's death. No cause was announced. His medical records weren't released.

Suspicions of foul play surfaced. In July 2012, his widow, Suha, ordered his body exhumed. Al Jazeera published new information, saying:

"A nine-month investigation suggests that the late Palestinian leader may have been poisoned with polonium."

His personal belongings were examined. They included his clothes, kaffiyeh and toothbrush. Polonium traces were found.

It's extremely toxic. It's most lethal when ingested or inhaled. It's hard to detect. It doesn't emit gamma rays.

It emits only alpha particles. Normal radiation detectors don't recognize them. Hospital equipment only detects gamma rays.

Ingesting or inhaling alpha particles causes significant radiation damage. Special equipment is needed to recognize it.

Switzerland's Radiophysique (SR) analyzed Arafat's belongings. Blood, sweat, saliva and urine samples were obtained. Tests confirmed abnormal polonium levels.

French denials don't wash. Its report won't be published. Failure to do so is suspicious. It concluded: "In sum, death was not due to poisoning with Polonium…"

"Measurements of Polonium 201 and other radioactive substances taken from biological samples of the body are consistent with a natural environmental origin."

Palestine Liberation Front leader Wasel Abu Yousef dismissed France's findings, saying:

"The French report is politicized, and is contrary to all the evidence which confirms that the president was killed by poisoning."

"This report is an attempt to cover up what happened in (Paris') Percy hospital."

Suha Arafat's lawyer Saad Djebbar said:

"We have no doubt that the most comprehensive and thorough report that examined all aspects of this case remains the Swiss report. (It's) the only show in town."

Switzerland's Radiophysique (SR) spokesperson Darcy Christen said:

"Our team's original findings still stand. A key question here is whether the French team went as far as we did in our analysis."

Both found elevated polonium-210 levels in Arafat's remains. France incredibly called its presence "natural."

They claimed radiation occurred post-mortem. They turned a blind to truth. They blamed air and soil.

Swiss experts forthrightly said otherwise. Polonium related deaths are extremely rare. Foul play isn't natural.

A Final Comment

Israel's history is odious. It's bloodstained. False flags and targeted assassinations are specialties. They repeat with disturbing regularity.

Pre-emptive murder is official policy. On December 3, Al Manar headlined "Hezbollah Official Assassinated in Hadath, Israel held responsible."

Hezbollah announced the following:

"Haj Hassan Hawlo Lakkis was assassinated Tuesday midnight in front of his home in St. Therese-Hadath while he was on his way back from his work."

"Israel is automatically held complete(ly) responsibility for this heinous crime." Previous "assassination attempts" failed, it added.

"This enemy should bear full responsibility and all consequences of this heinous crime, and this repeated targeting of dear resistance leaders and cadres."

Israel wanted Lakkis dead. Numerous previous attempts to kill him failed. Tuesday's attack around midnight succeeded.

Doing so reflects longstanding Israeli state terrorism. Its rap sheet includes crimes of war, against humanity and genocide. Accountability is long overdue.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

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