Plaza named for Arafat in San Salvador

The BBC reports on a diplomatic tiff between El Salvador and Israel after a city square in San Salvador was renamed for former PLO chief Yasser Arafat:

Many among El Salvador's business community are descendants of Palestinian immigrants who emigrated to Central America during the 19th century and early 20th century, before the establishment of Israel.

[Tony] Saca and the rival he defeated in a presidential election last year, Schafik Handal, are both descended from migrants from the Palestinian town of Bethlehem.

San Salvador's Palestinian business community privately erected a bust to Mr Arafat on the city's Jerusalem Street, and inaugurated the Arafat Park nearby.

Last year, the same businessmen dedicated Palestine Square in the city, and unveiled a map that placed Israel inside a larger country of Palestine.

Israel called the businessmen "people of ill will" and said it would delay the return to San Salvador of ambassador Yonatan Peled in order to express its displeasure.