Israelis - Palestinians say human rights official unwelcome

Robinson had planned on meeting Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat and Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Barak, a spokesman in Geneva, where the commission is located, said. She hoped to discuss the Mideast conflict.

But on the eve of her departure, Israel cancelled a meeting between Robinson and acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami because she refused to meet with right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon and Jerusalem's mayor, Ehud Olmert, Israeli military radio reported.

And the Palestinians objected because Robinson was not prepared to implement last month's resolution that condemned Israel for the actions of its army during the current spate of violence in the Palestinian-controlled areas that has claimed more than 190 lives.

"The Palestinian officials are not prepared to receive her, if she does not come into the region to implement" the resolution, said Nabil Ramlawi, the Palestinian representative at the United Nations in Geneva.

Ramlawi also condemned the attempt by the Israelis to bring Robinson into contact with Sharon, whose inflammatory visit to the holy site revered by both Jews and Moslems in Jerusalem sparked the current clashes.

The resolution, brought by Arab countries before the commission last month, passed by 19 to 16 votes and accused Israel of crimes against humanity, including "widespread systematic and gross violations of human rights perpetrated by the Israeli occupying power, in particular mass killings and collective punishments, such as demolition of houses and closure of the Palestinian territories."

It was not clear if Robinson would carry out the plans for the visit, nor if she would visit officials in Egypt and Jordan as planned.

(la/dpa)