Vaclav Havel, the playwright president of Czechoslovakia, has written himself an evenhanded role in the Middle East conflict.
He will arrive in Jerusalem later this month as the first Czech chief of state to visit Israel, in order to receive an honorary degree from the Hebrew University.
Meanwhile, Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat arrived here Thursday for a two-day state visit, part of Havel’s Middle East balancing scenario.
Arafat arrived to a comparatively cool public reception, probably because of his cordial relationship with the discredited former Communist regime.
Arafat nevertheless congratulated representatives of the Czech and Slovak political parties on their victories over dictatorship. He stressed the need for a peaceful solution in the Middle East.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
