(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Makovsky- Arafat can claim to have won the latest round in the power struggle taking place inside the West Bank and Gaza. In addition to intimidating foes and mollifying allies, Arafat has skillfully used his iconic status as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism to retain unquestioned political preeminence. Yet, the taboo of direct criticism of Arafat's control and corruption has been shattered. The more Palestinians are able to distinguish between Arafat the symbol and Arafat the leader, the harder it will be for him to divert criticism. The writer is director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute.
2004-08-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive