In news from France, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is reported to be in stable but very serious condition. A controversy erupted yesterday over whether senior Palestinian leaders would be allowed to visit Arafat in France. Arafat’s wife, Suha Arafat, tried to block the visit claiming they were attempting to * “bury Arafat while he is still alive.”* Today the officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas, are expected to arrive in France to see Arafat. Suha is one of only a handful of people who have seen Arafat since he was hospitalized 10 days ago. There have been rumors that Arafat has fallen into an irreversible coma but his wife has denied this. Meanwhile conflicting reports are coming out of Israel as to where Arafat’s funeral will be held. Yesterday the government said Arafat would be buried in the Gaza Strip. But today news reports are claiming that the official funeral will take place in Cairo followed by a private ceremony in Gaza.