Mohammad Ali Al Abbar yesterday denied that he had met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his recent visit to the Occupied Territories. Al Abbar, director-general of the Dubai Department of Economic Development and chairman of Emaar Properties, said media reports on his visit and the offer to buy colonies are inaccurate.
Denying meeting Sharon, he said in a press statement yesterday: "I am firm on the position that these colonies are built on Palestinian lands. Hence, buying or selling these lands would be in contradiction to international law."
The Israeli media claim-ed that Al Abbar had briefly met Sharon and his deputy Shimon Peres over an offer to buy colonists' homes in the Gaza Strip.
Al Abbar yesterday said: "My visit to the Palestinian territories, which was a personal one, comes within the framework of visits conducted by aid and humanitarian visits by UAE national and Arab organisations.
"Its purpose was to assess first hand the needs of the Palestinian people and examine the situation on the ground and thus find the best way to extend support to the Palestinian people who have shown courageous resistance in the face of occupation."
Al Abbar reaffirmed his opposition to any form of normalisation with Israel until a just and comprehensive peace is achieved for the Palestinian and Arab nations.
MIDEAST.RU web-newsproject issued by the Non-commercial partnership "Mass-media against terrorism and extremism" with information contributon of
Committees on the international affairs of the State Duma and the Federation Council of the Russia's Parlament, the All-Russia's union of industrialists and businessmen, Commercial and industrial chamber of the Russian Federation, Council of the external and defensive policy of the Russian Federation, National civil council on the international affairs, the Russian-Arabian business Council.
The web-project is awarded a State grant delivered under the Russia's president decree № 367-RP dated of June,30 - 2007
E-mail: me-journal@bk.ru
The Web-newspaper is related to "Russia and the outside world" issues with a special focus on the USA and the Greater Middle East countries
(the License of the Ministry of Press № 77-6483).
