(Beirut Daily Star-bitterlemons)Hassan A. Barari - The most obvious ramification of Arafat's departure will be the rehabilitation of the Palestinian "partner." If the Palestinian leadership is able to appear as responsible, the rules of the game will change. Despite a possible wrangle within Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas is expected to be the next president. Unlike Arafat, he will settle for nothing short of demilitarizing the intifada and, despite the fact that he will be treading through a political minefield, he is expected to prevail. Key players such as Jordan and Egypt will find it easier to work with him toward a political solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The writer is a researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan in Amman.
2004-12-03 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive