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Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1090812503969
The Undertaker
(Jerusalem Post) Barry Rubin - Yasser Arafat, architect of the Palestinian national movement, is now concluding his career by being its undertaker. By throwing away the chance for peace in 2000 and launching a four-year war he cannot win, Arafat has led his people into a dead end. Palestinians have been repeatedly told by their leaders, activists, media, and clergy that only maximal demands are patriotic, and moderation is a form of treason. The primacy placed on violence has poisoned their movement. The fundamental problem is that the Palestinians will continue to demand too much while being unable or unwilling to implement any agreement. This situation cannot change during Arafat's lifetime, and will continue for some years after he leaves the scene. Understanding that the Israel-Palestinian conflict is going to be unresolvable for some time to come must be the starting point of U.S. policy and any assessment of the region.