Arafat invited to commemorate the Holocaust

An Israeli Holocaust museum has invited the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, for an official visit, after reports that plans were cancelled for Mr Arafat to visit a Holocaust museum while he's in Washington next week.

The Yad Mordechai museum accused the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington of missing a chance for reconciliation between Palestinians and Jews.

The American museum was reported to have decided against an official reception apparently agreed by the Palestinians and American officials, after opposition from some American Jews.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service