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Commemorating Arafat
SEVERAL big Middle Eastern eventscoincidedwitheachother in recent times, the first anniversary of death ofYassir Arafat being one of them. Even if it was a muted commemoration ofagiantthereseemed to be an honest introspection of a postArafat era. Because with his death departed the last of the political dinosaurs and icons of a revolutionary era openingdoor - as demanded by the West’s peace brokers - forapeaceprocess; uninterrupted by "violence" and also by implication dictated by Israel and its Western patrons who already pushed Arafat into background making him "irrelevant". Well beforehisdeath Arafat was considered "an obstacle to peace". The observers remain askance as to what all differences have, after all, been made in the peace process with that "obstacle" nowremoved!
Belying the expectationsof the pipe dreamers Yassir Arafat is still ubiquitous through his legacy while the peace process is in limbo.That his legend dies hard is focussed by the speech of Bill Clinton, the former US President who while commemoratingYitztakRabin’sassassinationadecade before attacked thelate Palestinian President "forhiscolossal blunder" in failingto seize theopporntnity ofpeacesettlementatCamp David. However, thedinton'sversionofthestory is not incontrovertible according to those who were privy to Camp David episode in 2000. As per their assessment Israel's peace offer, of course, hacked by the US wasneitherasgenerous norfinal ashasbeen painted byClinton.
The matter of fact was that in Camp David when pressed by President Clinton to sign virtually a dotted document that offered an unlivable, disconnected Bantustan, an euphemism for the Palestinians' future ghettoisation in the name ofan independent Palestinianstate.adefiantYassirArafat refused to yield-That's what was later touted as Arafat's missed opportunity. Ever since the West was in search of someone with whom it could do business. In other words it looked for one who would do what Arafat refused to do.
Arafat hardly dithered when faced with the imperative of peace, even if he was criticised by the hardliners for his 'Oslo surrender’ although he always tactfully retained the option of an armed struggle. His peace overture was once hailed by none other than Clinton as the peace of the brave. But after the Camp David fiasco in 2000 and Sharon’s provocative Al-Aqsa visit he showed same courage in destroying a perfidious Oslo process by initiating second Intifada. Soon the contending parties were back to the brink in a bloody welter of Israel's targeted killings and thePalestinians’suicidebombings.
Arafat's critics inside and outside the Arab world could however suggest no alternative as the Palestinians lost, after the demise of cold war. the Soviet countervailing force to balance US-Israeli designs vis-a-vis the Arab world. They also lost Arab financial help after Arafat lent support to Saddam Hussain during the first Gulfwar. Even before that thePalestinians wereonretreatafterbeingdriven outoftheir basesin Egypt. Iordan and Lebanon. In themeannmeArafatalsolost. to an extent, the grip on his people; formore assertive, mote militant leadership emerged from the Hamas and Islamic Jihad who had more intoxicating appeal. In fact. Arafat was a forlorn leader licking his wound in distant TUnis when the firstlntifadabrokeoutinlateeighties.
Notwithstanding his serious predicaments the expectations from him was indeed great. Because it was he who gave the Palestinians in Diaspora a sense of identity and freed them from being used for longaspawnsin inter-Arab feud. He epitomised unflinching resolve and remained steadfast to his cause despite many reverses. It was his incredible courage and conviction that endeared him to his people and despite his apparent failures to wrest the occupied lands from the Israeli oppressors he retains a unique place in Arab history - only paralleled by Egypt's Carnal Nasser.
All said and done there was an orderly and peaceful transfer of authority in the state as well as in political organisation after Arafat's death. It seemed to be in conformity with the desires of the peace brokers - ostensibly jubilant at Arafat's exit from the scene. Mr Mahmoud Abbas, incidentally the West's betennoire was unanimously accepted as PLO chief while Mr Faruk Kadoumi became the chief of PLO's Fatah wing 'Ihere was no power straggle and the legitimacy of the two leaders to their positions was recognised. MrAbbas was the man behind Oslo peace process and was acting as PLO chief during Arafat's illness, while Mr. Kadoumi, even though livingin’Ibnisia wasnamed by Arafat ns Fatah chief during his life time.Then in January this year Abbas waselected president of PA (Palestin-ianAuthority).
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formed a new cabinet in Februarythis yfear and won a vote of confidence from the legislative council. In another positive development the Hamas which boycotted the presidential election nowdecided to participate in parliamentary election. EvenifHamas're turn tomainstream politics was seenasapositivesign from the point of view containing violence, Ariel Sharon unfortunately refused tohelptheelectoralprocessinWest Bankwhichisstillunderlsraelioccupation.
Yettheprevailingscenarioprovidesan ideal settingforthepeaceprocesstotake off afresh but for the nagging intransigence of authorities in Israel bent upon total halttoviolenceasaprecondition.InaninterplayofMiddleEast’scomplexconflict dynamics it Is a chimera not to be seen in reality. No wonder the peace process has not moved even an inch forward and is bogged down in Israel's same old refrain. And it will never move unless Israel abandons its di sire of greater Israel subsuming in it their Biblical Judea and Samaria. As ever, the biggest problem of the lands held sacred by bo th sides have toomuchhistoryandnot enough geography.
For all of his greatness Arafat also made monumental mistakes that broughthispeoplemisery.Historywillrecordthefaiiingsandshortcomingsof Arafat, but its verdict will be charitable. For no leader poised against such formidable odds did so much and yet did not compromise on the principles and continued until his last breath to struggle for a homeland for Palestinians.
Brig (raid) Hafiz IsfonnerDGofBIISS.