Secret diaries of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reveal relationship with Silvio Berlusconi

Italian newspaper L’Espresso has revealed a set of diaries belonging to former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The diaries, which contain 19 volumes spanning from 1985 to 2004, speak of various issues, such as the Gulf War, and Arafat's relationship with former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

The accounts also mention about how Arafat helped former Italian Prime Minister and candidate Silvio Berlusconi during a trial, when the latter was accused of allegedly funding Bettino Craxi’s Italian Socialist Party.

Arafat explained in his diaries that he had met in secret with Berlusconi to falsely testify in court about Berlusconi’s dealings and in turn receive a substantial amount of money.

Arafat had falsely testified that ten billion Italian lire (around €5 million), which were at the centre of the trial, were not destined for the Italian Socialist Party but for the Palestine Liberation Organization, to support the Palestinian cause.

The diaries also mention Arafat’s accounts numbers and other details.

They had been given to two Luxembourg trustees, who entrusted the documents to a French foundation for the purpose of acting as “study documents”.