Cheney Received Gift From Palestinian Leader

Vice President Dick Cheney received a gift last year worth $2,000 from Yasser Arafat, the longtime Palestinian leader whom the U.S. administration has sought to sideline as an obstacle to Mideast peace.

The gift, an inlaid mother-of-pearl background with a nativity scene in bas relief, was sent to Cheney and his wife, his office said. “Nonacceptance would cause embarrassment to donor [Arafat] and U.S. government,” the vice president’s office said in documents released this week.

Cheney’s spokeswoman said the gift was turned over to the U.S. government.

Federal rules limit the ability of government officials to keep large gifts from foreign governments. Arafat’s gift was among hundreds on a State Department list that is compiled annually.