Danny Rubinstein gives some insight into the latest political machinations in the Palestinian Authority.
“Visitors who met with [Arafat] this week said that he told them, ‘I am the most veteran leader in the Arab world, followed only by [Libyan ruler Moammar] Ghaddafi. Israel and the U.S. have to learn that if they want to achieve something, they must come to me. Otherwise nothing will happen.’”
For good or bad, Arafat is the symbol of the Palestinian’s national struggle and their ownly democratically elected leader as well. For Sharon and the Bush to attempt to ignore him is childish, hypocritical and dangerous. Not dealing with Arafat means that they don’t want to deal seriously with the Palestinian’s political aspirations which dooms the region to endless war. One gets the impression that they are not interesting in reaching a true settlement to the conflict, but just at keeping the violence down to manageable proportions (i.e. at a level which is not politically damaging). Why the Israeli and American public puts up with this, is the bigger mystery.
