(Ha'aretz) Yoel Marcus - The recent New York Times editorial calling for Arafat's resignation has given his dwindling prestige the final push. Terje Roed-Larsen blamed Arafat for the collapse of the Palestinian Authority. Colin Powell called him a master of yo-yo rhetoric. With three opinions on every subject and a degree in doublespeak, Arafat is a pro at fooling the public. He's never kept to any agreement and has turned his nose up at every possible offer. Clinton, Bush, and now John Kerry, are united in the belief that he is an obstacle to peace. Even Shimon Peres told Javier Solana that Arafat is a fruitcake. Arafat is now in the classic dictators' bind: The moment he weakens, the Palestinians will rebel against him. Which means he will hang on for dear life until the Palestinians get up the nerve to settle the score and kick him out. Now, they even have a permit from the New York Times.
2004-07-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive