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U.S. Policy Shift Undermines Arafat

(Access/MiddleEast) Khaled Abu Toameh - Arafat reacted hysterically to news of the Sharon-Bush deal. According to a senior PA official, Arafat hurled abuse at Sharon and Bush as he watched them during their press conference in Washington. Arafat is well aware that the dramatic shift in U.S. policy will further undermine his status among the Palestinians. In the eyes of many Palestinians, Arafat, Prime Minister Qurei, and the entire PA leadership have long ceased to be major players. Confined to his Ramallah headquarters for the past three years, Arafat is nothing but a symbol whose words are no longer taken seriously. "Arafat says that the Bush-Sharon deal marks the end of the peace process, but I believe it signals the beginning of his end," commented a veteran PLO official in Ramallah. "The Palestinians are not stupid and most of them know that we have reached this situation largely because of Arafat's failure to read the political map correctly." Arafat's only hope now is that the growing violence in Iraq would lead to the defeat of Bush in the presidential elections in November. Like most of the Arab rulers, Arafat is convinced that Bush constitutes the biggest threat to his regime because of his call for democracy and transparency in the Arab world.
2004-04-20 00:00:00
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