The Palestinian Authority has recently called for an international investigation into the November 2004 death of Yasser Arafat in Paris. But in a fresh libel PA officials told their own people in Arabic this week that no investigation is necessary, because they have hard evidence that Israel poisoned Arafat - with the approval of the US.

In a television interview with PA officials, the following claims and accusations were made:

1. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz decided in June 2002 to kill Arafat in a way that could not be linked to Israel.

2. Bassam Abu Sharif, former adviser to Arafat, who learned of the plan, wrote a letter to Arafat informing him of the plot. He presented the alleged letter on TV as "evidence." He even cited what he called the "exact words" of Sharon and Mofaz's private conversation.

3. One participant in the broadcast claimed to be Arafat's food taster, insisting he ate from Arafat's food at least half an hour before Arafat to prevent his poisoning.

4. The US knew about the plan to murder Arafat, and approved it on the condition that it was not carried out by a bomb attack.

5. Taysir Al-Tamimi, Chief Justice of the Sharia [Islamic Law] Court of Palestine, who vi-sited Arafat in hospital in Paris "saw" the "severe thinning" of Arafat's blood, which continued "even after his death."

6. The French doctors who treated Arafat in the final stage of his illness know that Arafat was poisoned. But they have refused to divulge this information because they fear it would prompt a violent Palestinian reaction that would destroy the PA's chance for an independent state.

7. The exact poison is unknown because it is a military secret...