(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - The prime minister put the disengagement plan into play based on the assumption that there was no partner on the Palestinian side. If Arafat leaves the arena now, the basis of the process will change completely. Two developments may temper the extent of the violence in the event of Arafat's death: his decreased popularity in the territories (despite the fact that residents still see him as a symbol), and the fact that Israel was not portrayed as attempting to harm him. According to Brigadier General (res.) Shalom Harari, a senior military analyst of Palestinian affairs, the PLO's old guard is expected to take initial control of the leadership, but the key to the future will rest in the hands of those who lead the Palestinian security apparatus: Mohammed Dahlan, Jibril Rajoub, Tawfik Tirawi, and Mohammed al-Hindi. Harari expects that a more profound power struggle between the PLO and the Hamas will take place. "There will be two governments: the Fatah leadership against the Islamic organizations."
2004-10-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive