November 12, 2004
DEATH OF ARAFAT: 'HEROIC
DEEDS,' BUT MANY 'SHORTCOMINGS'
KEY FINDINGS
** Arafat was a
"symbol" of Palestinian hopes but an "obstacle" to an
independent Palestine.
** Optimists describe
Arafat's death as "yet another chance" for a "new opening"
for peace.
** Pessimists see a
"dangerous void" in the PA, with "conflict verging on civil
war."
** The U.S. must
"initiate mediation efforts" given this "opportunity to
revive" dialogue.
MAJOR THEMES
The 'architect of modern terrorism'-- Global papers noted Arafat's mixed legacy. Several Muslim writers joined conservative
and Israeli critics in decrying Arafat's "shortcomings," including
"incompetence and corruption" and his status as the world's
"father of terror." Canada's
conservative Halifax Herald concluded that Arafat left his people
"humiliated in a dangerous, impoverished ghetto." But developing world observers praised the
"illustrious Third World hero," focusing on his success in
"forcing the world...to acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian
nation." Reflecting widespread Arab
opinion, the West Bank's independent Al-Quds hailed Arafat's
"insistence on our people's unity and adherence to liberation."
A prod to 'restart the jammed peace process'-- Writers expressed a "sense of hope"
that a "new leadership" has emerged among Palestinians that will
abandon Arafat's "murderous policy" and create a "renewed and
moderate" PA. Hong Kong's
independent Ming Pao Daily News spoke for many by noting a "new
opportunity for peace"; France's regional L'Alsace added that
"Arafat's death could have a positive impact" by leading to
"renewed dialogue" with Israel.
Liberal dailies urged Israel to grasp this "potentially positive
opening" for "advancing the prospects of peace" now that Arafat,
the "alleged obstacle," is gone.
'Prevent the...territories from sliding into violent
anarchy'-- Conservative dailies
warned "a wave of anger, hatred and violence" may arise in the
Palestinian territories following Arafat's death. As potential candidates "jockey for
leadership in a post-Arafat era, most will see adopting a hard-line view
against Israel as an asset" and intensify what Israel's Jerusalem Post
termed a policy of "destruction and confrontation." Other papers focused on the probability of
"internal chaos"; Denmark's Jyllands Posten feared
"anarchy, brutal internal power struggles and uncontrollable
violence" as factional disputes intensify.
The Irish Examiner agreed that the "auguries are of
division, treachery and possible civil war."
The U.S. should 'rediscover the role of honest broker'-- Asian and Euro outlets emphasized the U.S.'
"decisive role" in putting the "peace process back on
track," as President Bush is "the only one who can give the necessary
push." Italy's centrist Corriere
Della Sera flatly stated that "peace talks require George Bush's
involvement," while Japan's moderate Yomiuri saw an
"opportunity for President Bush to exercise leadership." Papers advised the U.S. to be more
"even-handed," with Uganda's state-owned New Vision arguing it
is "vital that the U.S. now intervenes to try and support moderation on
both sides." But Morocco's
independent L'Economiste had no confidence in the role of "America,
the friend of the enemy."
Prepared by Media Reaction Branch (202)
203-7888, rmrmail@state.gov
EDITORS: Ben Goldberg,
Steve Wangsness
EDITOR'S NOTE: Media
Reaction reporting conveys the spectrum of foreign press sentiment. Posts select commentary to provide a
representative picture of local editorial opinion. Some commentary is taken directly from the
Internet. This report summarizes and
interprets foreign editorial opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views
of the U.S. Government. This analysis
was based on 90 reports from 41 countries over 11 - 12 November 2004. Editorial excerpts are listed from the most
recent date.
EUROPE
BRITAIN: "Beyond The
Humbug"
The conservative Daily Telegraph editorialized
(11/12): "Mr. Arafat's death has
given rise to a universal outpouring of political humbug. In reality, the Palestinian leader was
popular neither with governments in the Arab world nor beyond. He may have kept alive the flame of
independence, but did so at a terrible cost to his own people and, especially
during the second intifada, launched after the collapse of Camp David, to the Israelis
as well. It is natural that the
Palestinians, like the Russians on the death of Stalin in 1953, should bewail
someone who has led them for decades.
But, as many of them have long realized, they will be better off without
him."
"After Arafat"
The conservative Times commented (11/12): "The reality of Palestinian life is
conflict verging on civil war, and it is as clear to many Palestinians as it is
to frustrated Israelis that this death presents opportunities. Mr. Arafat had become a man with whom it was
almost impossible to do business, but without whose sanction nothing could be
done. The relatively smooth transition
yesterday was a positive sign for Palestinians and the region.... The Bush administration's 'road map' assumes
the existence of a viable Palestinian interlocutor. With Mr. Arafat gone, it is possible for such
a figure to emerge.... George W. Bush's
decisive election victory creates a momentum for progress. Ariel Sharon's willingness to pull Israeli
soldiers and settlers out of the Gaza Strip is a further hopeful sign. Out of this death, may come a better life for
the peoples of two tortured lands."
"Death Of Flawed Leader Offers Opportunity That Must Not Be
Squandered"
The center-left Independent had this to say (11/12): "One day, perhaps, Yasser Arafat may be
laid to rest in a united Jerusalem. But
that day has not yet arrived. The
fervent hope must be, however, that it has drawn a little closer with Mr.
Arafat's departure.... History will
judge whether Mr. Arafat was to blame for the failure of the Camp David talks
in 2000.... However the past is
interpreted, the present offers an unheralded opportunity for advancing the
prospects of peace. The Israeli prime
minister has won a parliamentary mandate for withdrawing from Gaza. President Bush is on the threshold of a
second term and will be looking to his legacy.
The European Union has an interest in showing foreign-policy unity and
is keen to assist the Palestinians in developing Gaza. If the Palestinians hold timely elections
that produce a forward-looking leader who wields authority, U.S. and Israeli
complaints that there is no one to negotiate with will be put to the test. The opportunity is there. But it will not be there for long; it must be
grasped."
"Bloodshed, Futility And The Martyr Who Betrayed His
People"
Max Hastings commented in the conservative mid-market tabloid Daily
Mail (11/12): "Today, in the
wake of Yasser Arafat's death, there is a small window of opportunity. The tragedy is that neither side seems likely
to take it. Arafat lacks a credible
successor. The leadership of the
Palestinians will be disputed by rival warlords, probably none capable of
helping this tragic people to become a coherent society. The Israeli Right, in its turn, will perceive
internal strife among their enemies as a new opportunity, a fresh excuse, for
repression in the occupied territories and continued expansion of the West Bank
settlements. If they only knew it, the
Palestinian people have no more cause to mourn Yasser Arafat than we do. But in their despair and nihilism, they are
likely to remember him as a martyr to Israeli persecution, rather than as what
he was: a partner with Ariel Sharon in renewing their passports to misery for
another generation."
"A Chance For Peace"
The center-left tabloid Daily Mirror declared (11/12): "The death of Yasser Arafat will bring a
new leadership to the Palestinians which must be met by a sympathetic response
from the Israelis. The future of the
Middle East was already top of the agenda for today's meeting between President
Bush and Tony Blair. It now has even
more urgency and potential. We do not
need to pass judgment on the life of Yasser Arafat. Just pray that his death will bring fresh
hope to the Middle East."
FRANCE: "No Longer An
Alibi"
Charles Lambroschini commented in right-of-center Le Figaro
(11/12): “For the election of Arafat’s
successor to be a success, there are two conditions that must be met. First the peace process must be set back on
track through the ‘roadmap.’ If Sharon
accepts to go back to the negotiations table, he will send a sign encouraging
the Palestinians to elect moderate candidates able to sign a compromise with
Israel.... Otherwise they will choose a
war leader.... The second condition is
that the Israeli army be committed to organizing fair and secure
elections.... Arafat, who was never able
to choose between being a terrorist and a statesman, offers with his own demise
a unique chance for peace. It is no
longer possible to refuse to negotiate because Arafat was the wrong
interlocutor. Sharon has lost his
alibi.”
"The Equation Is Changed"
Patrick Sabatier argued in left-of-center Liberation
(11/12): “Let us hope that the end of
Arafat, along with other recent events, will change the terms of the equation
in the Middle East. One of these events
is the re-election of President Bush:
the president’s difficulties in Iraq and his desire to mark history may
urge him to weigh in more on the conflict than in the past.... Sharon’s own difficulties in implementing his
withdrawal from Gaza, added to pressure from the U.S. and Europe, should push
him to negotiate with a Palestinian Authority which is no longer presided by
his number one enemy.... And finally,
the new Palestinian leaders will need to garner some legitimacy, now that they
have been freed from the paralyzing figure of the father.... This is an optimistic scenario...but it is no
longer pure fiction, considering the new terms of the equation.”
"Let’s Return To The Roadmap"
Patrick Fluckiger opined in regional L’Alsace (11/12): “It is time to return to the roadmap, which
is itself in a sort of coma.... But the
causes of this particular coma have been identified and can be remedied: they are the Palestinians’ refusal to stop
their terrorist attacks, and Israel’s refusal to stop the settlements or to
stop building the security fence.
Arafat’s death could have a positive impact if it could lead to a
renewed dialogue. Why not believe in
this? The Palestinians have proven that
their institutions can work and the Israelis seem to want a peaceful burial for
their oldest enemy. It is often around a
grave that exhausted old enemies meet.”
GERMANY: "Arafat's
Legacy"
Stefan Kornelius opined in center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung
of Munich (11/12): "Following
Arafat's death, all sides involved must review their strategies. The United States as the classical power of
order in the region must revive its engagement, which has become marginal. Every new, halfway democratically legitimized
Palestinian personality that renounces violence will become a mandatory partner
for talks for Washington. This new
leading figure will gain stature all the faster, the sooner people link
confidence and a new beginning to this new person the greater the international
support is this person gets. But Ariel
Sharon's policy will now be of decisive importance. The Israeli prime minister promoted this
rigid situation. He, too, wanted a
political standstill. Now his former
opponent is dead, and Sharon has lost this fixation, the most important motive
for his policy. It will be necessary to
exert pressure on him, too, in order to get rid of the rigidity in the Middle
East."
"End And Beginning"
Dietrich Alexander argued in right-of-center Die Welt of
Berlin (11/12): "In the end, Yasser
Arafat did the Palestinian cause a bad service.
He left a pile of debris, an edifice by the name of Palestinian
autonomous authority, hatred and agony, a totally disordered house. His death is creating a power vacuum, because
his egotism and his selfishness have prevented other Palestinians from becoming
Palestinian leaders. In the next few
weeks, the Palestinians will pave the way for their future, they will have to
decide whether they will plunge into a violent struggle for his succession or
whether they want to embark on a structured orderly transition. They have the choice whether they want to
build a future in peace on the side of Israel or give their fate into the hands
of radicals."
"Death Of A Terrorist"
Bernd Ziesemer noted in business daily Handelsblatt of
Duesseldorf (11/12): "It is true
that Arafat urged the Palestinians to recognize Israel's right to exist, but he
refused to make peace with the controversial Jewish state. Until his bitter end, he hoped to bomb Israel
back to the negotiating table on his conditions by relying on suicide
bombers. That is why a historic
compromise between Arafat and Israel was impossible. It is true that his death will now open
chances, but unfortunately no certainties, for the peace process. The pessimistic variant is: the Gaza Strip will now turn into one of
those failing states in which anarchy will rule. If one wants to remain an optimist--something
that is difficult in the Middle East peace process--we can pin our hopes on
more capable leaders at the top of the PLO to whose hands not so much blood
sticks than to Arafat's hands. Only if
his successors bring along the will and the power to stop the murderous
activities against Israel will their dream of a Palestinian state continue to
live."
ITALY: "The Real Test
For Peace"
Franco Venturini commented in centrist, top-circulation Corriere
della Sera (11/12): “Like Franco,
Tito, and Deng, Yasser Arafat died when an agreement for his succession allowed
the plug to be pulled.... World leaders
agree that a new era for peace begins....
It remains to be seen, however, how many of them will be willing to do
their part.... Should we mention that
the peace talks require George Bush’s involvement? Now that he is free of electoral limitations,
and solicited by his super-ally Tony Blair, who is conscious that a thaw
between Israelis and Palestinians would also weigh in Iraq and in transatlantic
relations, the White House chief must choose between political obligation and
straightforward support of Sharon. Bush
must start from here if he wants his second term to introduce some kind of
innovation.”
"A Man Who Invented A Nation But Who Never Told It The
Truth"
Sandro Viola observed reports in left-leaning, influential La
Repubblica (11/12): “Yes, [he was] a
liar. Just think, no one ever managed to
discover where he was born.... But as
leader of the Palestinian nation, it was convenient for him to say he was born
in Palestine, only that he would confuse the cities: sometimes he would say he was born in
Jerusalem, other times Gaza. But this
shouldn’t be surprising because he began his career with falsehoods,
propagandistic exaggerations and lies....
Yasser Arafat is primarily to blame for not having told his people the
whole truth--that they would never return to the land they abandoned in 1948;
that the most they could hope for was a compromise. Arafat was never clear. He wasn’t able, or perhaps he chose not to
remove the idea of total revenge from the minds of Palestinians.”
RUSSIA: "Give Peace
Another Chance"
Sergey Strokan commented in business-oriented Kommersant
(11/12): "Yasser Arafat's departure
is yet another chance for the Palestinians and Israelis to end the more than
50-year-old feud. It may be their last. Over the decades the antagonists have wasted
quite a few chances to wipe the slate clean, acting as if there will be many
more. Today's chance is special, if not
unique, and costs far more than the previous ones. Up to now the Israelis said Yasser Arafat was
the chief impediment to better relations with the Palestinians. His demise must prove them right or
wrong. A continued jihad now will kill
all hope for peace and an independent Palestinian state."
"Father Of Terror"
Veniamin Ginodman stated in reformist Gazeta (11/12): "The deceased will go down in history as
the architect of modern terrorism. A man
of genius, he begat all terrorist, extremist, nationalist and separatist groups
of the contemporary world. He was a
virtuoso, skilled in politics and guerrilla warfare, combining legal methods
with illegal ones, dividing the underground into political and military, and
setting radicals against moderates. His
techniques have spread across the world, being extensively used and yielding
fruit. Arafat, a symbol of the Palestinians'
struggle in his lifetime, has become a perfect icon."
"Everything's Changed Now"
Yelena Suponina observed in reformist Vremya Novostey
(11/12): "A new era has started in
Palestine. It is unclear whether it is
going to be better for the Palestinians.
Everything has changed by now.
Yasser Arafat, at 75, outlived the Soviet Union by 13 years. Being smart helped him endure for so
long. After the collapse of the USSR, he
could no longer capitalize on contradictions between Moscow and Washington."
AUSTRIA: "What Comes
After Arafat?"
Foreign affairs editor Livia Klingl opined in mass-circulation Kurier
(11/12): "In order for a new
chapter to be opened in the Middle East...after years of human lethargy and
economic agony, good sense will be necessary not just on the part of the
Palestinians. Israel and the U.S., now
rid of the alleged obstacle to peace, now have a responsibility. Sooner or later Israel will have to make
peace with the Palestinians. It will
only be a lasting peace, however, if it is based on respect, not on
repression. Also, a lasting peace will
have to entail the realization of Arafat's lifelong dream of a state of
Palestine, not the creation of 'Bantustans' that are not capable of
survival. It would be for George Bush to
rediscover the role of honest broker, which was assumed by the U.S. during the
Clinton era. After all, it has often
been proved that double standards bring misfortune also to those whom one wants
to protect. However, it is more than
questionable at present whether the U.S. president, who is firmly committed to
a black-and-white view of the world and military force, will take the chance to
act as a mediator."
BELGIUM: "The Dream Of
A Palestinian State"
Foreign editor Gerald Papy opined in independent La Libre
Belgique (11/12): “Yasser Arafat had
several lives and...redeemed some of his mistakes. Arafat was first Abu Amar, the man whom
Palestinians considered the first defender of their national cause and the
first resistant to Israeli occupation.
He was a terrorist, Israelis say.
But a terrorist the same way Menahem Begin, the future Israeli prime
minister, was considered a terrorist by the British occupiers.... Arafat was then the peace negotiator with the
Israelis, the man who turned the page of the fight with violent methods to make
the Palestinians recognize an Israeli state.
It was therefore legitimate for his courage to be rewarded by the Peace
Nobel Prize.... While Palestinians are
paying tribute to their ‘father,’ let us make two wishes. First, that Palestinians, who were not among
the last to show political maturity in the Arab Muslim world, be smart enough
to elect a leader that has the stature of a head of state rather than the aura
of a charismatic leader. Secondly, that
Israelis realize, like Rabin and Peres did, that in order to reach a lasting
peace, there must be two partners and concessions must be made.”
"Bush Should Promptly Give Peace A Chance"
Diplomatic correspondent Mia Doornaert wrote in Christian-Democrat
De Standaard (11/12): “The
absence of a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict cannot only be
blamed on Arafat. With the death of
Arafat and the beginning of a new chapter in the Middle East, many leaders, to
begin with George W. Bush, must show that they are capable of seizing an
opportunity.... If Ariel Sharon wants to
demonstrate that Arafat was not just an excuse to avoid talking to the
Palestinians, he will now have to send clear signals that dialogue can bring
more than violence. The least he can do
is immediately stop the construction of new settlements and of the security
wall and make an offer for serious negotiations. And that is where U.S. President George W.
Bush can play a decisive role.... He is
the only one who can give the necessary push to put the peace process back on
track, with negotiations, with a clear calendar, and with a proposed map of the
future border between Israel and a Palestinian state. It is only if such a convincing initiative is
promptly taken that moderate Palestinian leaders will stand a chance in the
upcoming elections. Another
consideration for Bush is that this is the best opportunity for him to mend the
upset relations with the European allies.
If there is one issue on which all EU member countries agree, it is that
a peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict is a top priority. And Bush can also expect full cooperation
from the other two members of the quartet, i.e., the UN and Russia.”
DENMARK: "No New Day
For Middle East”
Center-right Jyllands-Posten editorialized (11/12): “Arafat’s death could provide an opening for
future Palestinian leaders to address the conflict. But, this could also signal the start of
anarchy, brutal internal power struggles and uncontrollable violence. Over the last 40 years, Arafat has failed to
bring his people into the 20th century.
Instead, his legacy is one of ruin and corruption. If we did not know better, it would be
tempting to say that this could be a new beginning for the Palestinians, but,
unfortunately, history speaks against this.
Even the Palestinians do not believe that there is any real hope for
peace.”
"Arafat Will Not Be Missed As Momentum Gathers For New Peace
Negotiations"
Center-left Politiken stated (11/12): “Far too many Palestinians have suffered from
Arafat’s double-edged policies. If
Arafat, in reality, wanted to see a violent conflict, he was unable to lead his
people to victory. On the contrary, the
most recent Intifada has cost the lives of 3000 Palestinians and 1000
Israelis.... He lost his wars and he
wasted his chances for peace. His
government was hopelessly corrupt and far too closely centered on his own
personality. The lesson Palestinians
must learn from the Arafat years is that they need a democratically elected
leader who has the courage to choose peace.
This would make it impossible for the Israelis to claim that the
Palestinians do not want to move towards a solution. In this connection, Arafat will not be missed.”
HUNGARY: "The Death Of
A Symbol"
Columnist Endre Aczel wrote in top-circulation, center-left Nepszabadsag
(11/12): “Yasser Arafat was the father
and depository of the Palestinian national movement and the concept of an
independent Palestinian state for half a century. He had to fight his battles as much with
Israel as with his Arab brethren .... It
is to his credit that, with time, the Arab world emancipated the PLO; to his
credit that the Palestinian movement had progressed to the recognition of the
state of Israel and to signing the Oslo treaty to lay the foundation for Palestinian
autonomy. He is to thank for the Israeli
leaders taking out of quotation marks the concept of a Palestinian state. It is his tragedy that he was not able to
realize his life’s dream, the establishment of the independent Palestinian
state. It is the kind of tragedy,
though, in which the hero himself had played the lead in bringing about the
fall of the hero.”
IRELAND: "Leader Who
Lost His Way"
The center-right, populist Irish Independent took this view
(11/12): “Yasser Arafat personified the
cause of the Palestinian people.... For
all his faults and all his failures, it was he who brought them within sights
of the statehood which at the outset of his career appeared a pipedream.... Arafat almost matched the worst Arab
dictators...in the practice of corruption and the alleged theft of vast
sums.... When real negotiations with
Israel at last got under way, he made a series of blunders. For some he could be forgiven. The talks coincided with, in some cases
followed, the rise of both Jewish and Muslim extremism, which fed upon each
other in the hideously familiar way. But
a huge proportion of the fault lay with Arafat. In his earlier days he had
sponsored horrific forms of violence.
When he later played the statesman, he did not know how to stop
it.... He was a bad negotiator. He did not take advantage of the periods in
power of moderate Israeli leaders (or the more even-handed American presidents)
or build on the Oslo accords and the Camp David negotiations. He irritated and frustrated those who wished
his people well. However, the most
severe criticism must apply to the political situation he allowed to develop
towards the end.... He should have
arranged for an orderly transfer of power.
Instead, the auguries are of division, treachery and possible civil
war. Small as it is, Palestine could
split. And the Muslim fundamentalists
may show, more dramatically than before, how hollow were the hopes of democracy
and secularism. A fair and practical
settlement with Israel is still on the table.
But it cannot be sealed without a stable Palestinian regime. Only one man, George Bush, can intervene to
real effect, and whether and how he handles this crisis will be a prime test of
his second term.”
"Preparing For The Post-Arafat Era"
The center-left Irish Times observed (11/11): “His death would transform the political
circumstances surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, since it would
enable a new leadership to engage afresh with Mr. Ariel Sharon in the changed
international setting created by Mr. George Bush's victory in the U.S.
elections. For the sake of peace and security in the Middle East it is
essential that this potentially positive opening be fully grasped by all
concerned. Palestinians are slowly
coming to terms with the likely consequences of Mr. Arafat's death.... A new Palestinian leadership will presumably
combine elements of the newer and older generations. It must be allowed to emerge democratically
through elections and open political activity over coming weeks and
months. This will require the Israelis
to lift sieges and checkpoints.... Mr.
Sharon and members of his government are having to rethink their plan to
withdraw from Gaza, as a result of Mr. Arafat's illness and a likely new Palestinian
leadership. Its unilateralism has been
justifiably criticised by the international quartet seeking to restart
settlement negotiations. Now that Mr.
Bush has been re-elected the time has come for him to support these efforts
much more vigorously, as Mr. Tony Blair will urge him to do at their meeting
today. It is an opportunity not to be
missed.”
POLAND: "Arafat’s
Life, Palestine’s Fate"
Jan Skorzynski remarked in centrist Rzeczpospolita
(11/12): “Yasser Arafat fought for
Palestine in every possible way: with
arms, as a soldier and terrorist; before the UN, as a leader of a political
movement; at the negotiating table, as Chairman of the [Palestinian]
Authority.... The 1994 Camp David peace
agreement was Arafat’s greatest achievement.
But his authoritarian governance of the Palestinian Authority was marked
by inefficiency and corruption. When the
Palestinian leader turned down Israel’s very far-reaching offer in 2000, it
became clear that Arafat was becoming an obstacle on the road to a permanent
peace.... Will his demise restart the
jammed peace process? There is no
certainty but only a hope.”
SPAIN: "Arafat, The
War Leader Who Couldn't Built Peace"
Independent El Mundo wrote (11/12): "Arafat always knew how to face war, but
he failed at building peace.... Arafat
can be considered as a political giant in the Arab world and a leader that will
go down in history, in spite of his huge mistakes.... The personality of Arafat's successor will be
very important, but Sharon and Bush's attitude to renew the dialogue process,
broken four years ago, will be more important.
Arafat's disappearance means an important change in the negotiation
panel. It remains to be seen if this is
for better or worse."
"On The Death Of Yasser Arafat"
Conservative ABC observed (11/12): "It can't be forgotten that the
distribution of Arafat's political heritage has ended up degenerating into a
stage of infighting where the resort to violence is a daily occurrence and
where the fight for control of the economic aid that has become the currency
that fosters a dense network of corruption and interests. At the same time, with Araft's death, the
Israeli leaders...lose their main pretext for saying that the peace process is
blocked.... The Palestinians have an historic
opportunity to demonstrate to the international community that they are able to
assume a peaceful and civilized transition and that they can elect a successor
with serenity and calm."
SWEDEN: "A Palestinian
Epoch Is Laid To Rest"
Independent, liberal Stockholm morning daily Dagens Nyheter
editorialized (11/12): “Yasser Arafat
was a symbol of the Palestinians’ fight for self-government, a position he held
to the end. He was the one who put the
issue of Palestinian independence on the agenda. The Palestinian demand for an independent
state is legitimate and has, in the course of time, been accepted by the
international community including the U.S. ...
Now Arafat is dead, and a new phase begins in the Mideast. New challenges may appear quickly...since
there is uncertainty about who will succeed him.... Although there will be elections, the worst
case scenario is that a bloody struggle for power will be around the corner.”
"Arafat Never Dared To Make Peace"
Conservative Stockholm morning daily Svenska Dagbladet
commented (11/12): “Yasser Arafat could
have gone down in history as a great leader.
But he won’t. He did not grow
with his task.... When the chips were
down, Arafat did not manage to look beyond his own sphere of power. The path forward [for the Palestinians] can
only be through democratic elections that will decide a legitimate political
leadership that has a mandate to take the risk that Arafat did not dare--to
make peace.”
TURKEY:
"The Death Of Arafat And The Mistakes Of The Struggle"
Huseyin Gulerce maintained in the Islamist-intellectual Zaman
(11/12): “Israel, which has been fully
supported by U.S. policy no matter which party was in power, is now pleased by
the death of Arafat. But will Arafat’s
death really give Sharon the opportunity he is looking for? Although it’s difficult to say this right
after Arafat’s death, we have to point out the mistakes in the PLO’s--that is,
Arafat’s--policies. We have to ask,
without letting our emotions get in the way, how much the up-and-down policies
of the PLO really contributed to the struggle of the Palestinian people. We are all aching for the Palestinian people
because of the massacres and inhuman treatment they have been subjected
to.... We must also say that suicide
attacks have no place in our religion....
The mistakes that have been made in the name of religion, by the actions
of a few, have cast a shadow over a legitimate struggle and opened the way for
Islam and all Muslims to be condemned by the world.... The recent U.S. attack against Iraq and
ongoing U.S. policies have turned the Middle East into a real mess. A positive solution to this mess is
impossible to see.... The U.S. and
Israel see this moment as an opportunity to press their policies. They are counting on a weakening of the
Palestinian movement with the death of Arafat.
But peace in the Middle East depends most of all on U.S. willingness to
free itself from the role of custodian of Israeli policies and interests. The main problem lies in the weakness of U.S.
foreign policy. Bush and his team cannot
hope to bring peace to the Middle East by ignoring all warnings and taking on
the entire Islamic world. Palestine is a
holy place for Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
The basis for preventing a clash of civilizations lies in these
territories. The eyes of the world are
now on America.”
"After Arafat"
Oktay Eksi wrote in the sensationalist daily Hurriyet
(11/12): “Arafat was without question an
important leader in the Middle East. For
40 years he maintained the support of the people and the power of the
struggle. Palestinians viewed him as the
most courageous and determined symbol of their cause. But it would be hard to say that Arafat
possessed the attributes of a real leader.
For example, he wasn’t a leader whose word could be trusted. He was undoubtedly the symbol of the
Palestinian cause. But rather than
trying to legitimize that struggle, he preferred to make himself indispensable
to the movement.... But even some flawed
leaders can cause people to overlook their flaws by the magnitude of their
great works. We couldn’t say that about
Arafat, because his file also includes evidence that he took the people’s money
and used it for his own purposes. The
Palestinians deserve to have their independence and to establish their own
state, but the price of this shouldn’t be extortion at the hands of their own
leader.”
MIDDLE EAST
ISRAEL:
"America's Time Out"
Dan Margalit wrote in popular, populist Maariv
(11/12): "The [Israeli] Right [is disappointed]
because Arafat's death won't return the U.S. to immediately supporting the road
map instead of the disengagement plan....
The Left [is disappointed] because the longed-for U.S. pressure on
Israel, through a president freed from any future election campaign, isn't in
the cards. The Left will have to wait
until the '60 + 60' formula is exhausted--60 days until the elections for the
Palestinian leadership, and the same amount of time for reorganizing under a
magnifying glass.... Contrary to commentators
who had believed that pressure on Israel would speed up, the U.S. is going into
a lower gear. There are three reasons
for this. The first one is that the U.S.
is waiting to see whether Abu Mazen and Abu Ala will control the Palestinian
street.... The second reason for the
slowing down is that the U.S. is aware of Ariel Sharon's difficult situation at
the Knesset.... The third reason is that
Europe--even Tony Blair--is pushing for a swift move in the Middle East. But at this time Bush doesn't want to look as
someone who can be pressured.... In
fact, Bush expects to become the first president in whose term over 20
settlements will be evacuated.... The
key to understanding Washington's current outlook for the next few months is
that...Bush doesn't intend to turn on a dime."
"New Opportunities"
Shmuel Rosner held in independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz
(11/12): "[Arafat's] heirs will get
a second chance [at the White House], and this chance will be a real one. According to sources in the U.S. capital, the
President already has great hopes that they will make the significant strides
in the Middle East that he needs like oxygen.... The Bush staff has a clear worldview, which
is easily comprehended, if inconsistently implemented. The Palestinians deserve a state of their
own, even if hands must be forced, including the hand of Ariel Sharon. They must only meet basic conditions. The Bush administration, unlike its
predecessors, does not see the Palestinian question as the key to the region's
problems. They do not consider the
Palestinian problem to be the cause of Arab enmity toward the U.S. and Israel,
but, at most, an excuse that the Americans would be happy to neutralize. That would complicate the cause of Bush's
opponents in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, and please his friends in Beirut and
Europe."
"Perhaps Now"
Chief Economic Editor Sever Plotker wrote in mass-circulation,
pluralist Yediot Aharonot (11/12):
"As fate would have it, Ariel Sharon will be the first Israeli
prime minister since 1967 who will not have Arafat's shadow hovering over his
head.... Sharon's role until now, among
other things, was the crushing Israeli answer to Arafat, and herein lay one of
the foundations of his political strength.
Now, without Arafat, Sharon will have to be a different Sharon. He will have to make decisions without
considering the reaction of the hated chairman.
He will have to meet the test of leadership purely as Ariel Sharon, not
as the opposition to Arafat. He will not
fail.... Sharon's disengagement plan
was, among its other objectives, also a move for disengagement from
Arafat. This motive for unilateral
disengagement from Gaza no longer exists--it is being buried in Ramallah--but
other motives exist and have even been reinforced. A withdrawal that is unilateral means a
historical Israeli concession that does not depend on any Palestinian steps in
return, steps that are not possible over the coming year. This is the greatest gesture that Sharon
could give any Palestinian leader."
"Enemy, Partner, Adversary"
Independent, left-leaning Ha'aretz editorialized
(11/12): "Arafat, who died yesterday,
led his people down the path of violence over the last four years as well,
thereby distancing Israelis and Palestinians from the threshold of peace. He--who was restored to political life in
1993 by the Rabin government...did not fulfill Israeli hopes.... Without Arafat, the Palestinians would not
have got as far as they did. But with
him, and because of him, they were unable to get any farther. The leadership
that follows in his footsteps will also have to deviate from them, even as it
bows under the weight of his memory."
"A New Era"
Conservative, independent Jerusalem Post opined
(11/12): "The arrival of the
long-overdue post-Arafat era brings with it a sense of hope to some, deja vu to
others.... In fact, Israel for now has
little choice but to follow events rather than try to shape them, since the
choices at stake are entirely the Palestinians' to make. This is not the first time the Palestinians
are faced with an opportunity to reinvent their history. In the past seven decades at least five such
opportunities emerged, the very opportunities which Abba Eban memorably
remarked the Palestinians always made sure to miss.... The big question now, therefore, is whether
the post-Arafat leadership will finally resort to construction and harmony, or remain
addicted to destruction and confrontation.
Should it opt for the former, it can count on finding an Israeli
populace whose eagerness to give peace the chance it demands equals the
determination with which it is giving terror the fight it deserves. The choice is all the Palestinians'."
"Arafat's Heirs Promise to Follow His Path"
Nationalist, Orthodox Hatzofe maintained (11/12): "The 'heirs' following in [Arafat's]
footsteps have not expressed themselves against Yasser Arafat's murderous
policy. Their silence was interpreted as
an assent.... If this does become their
policy, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did the right thing by announcing to the
security cabinet that Israel would not make concessions to the Palestinians.... Israel is obligated to demonstrate vigilance
in order to prepare for the post-Arafat era....
[Arafat's heirs] vow to pursue [his murderous policy] relentlessly. Israel shouldn't ignore this."
WEST BANK: "After
Yasser Arafat"
Samih Shubayb stated in independent Al-Ayyam (11/12): “Yasser Arafat’s passing means the end of a
phase but doesn’t mean the end of a position or a trend. Thus, burying him as a symbol and a great
hero sustains a trend and a life-journey....
One can say that since the Yasir Arafat’s health crisis began to appear,
the official Palestinian performance has been distinctive for its balance,
wisdom and spirit of responsibility.
Official Palestinian institutions...have dealt with matters in a
civilized, reliable manner, inspiring a satisfactory and trustworthy beginning
of the upcoming stage.”
"The President-Symbol Will Not Die In Us"
Independent Al-Quds editorialized (11/12): "If the body of President Arafat will be
buried in the Palestinian land, which he loved and sacrificed his life for,
Arafat the symbol, with his spirit, instructions, firm will, great giving,
fabulous kindness, insistence on our people’s unity and adherence to liberation
and independence, will be eternal in the heart and conscience of every
Palestinian, Arab and lover of freedom, justice and peace.”
"The Passing Of Arafat:
Israelis Losing A Historic Opportunity"
Ashraf Ajrami contended in independent Al-Ayyam
(11/12): "The Israelis will
discover, if the peace process is to resume, that they have lost much,
particularly time, and have ruined all bridges that could have led to
peace. [They will also find out] that
any Palestinian leader will not accept less than what Yasser Arafat has
accepted. Arafat’s power and historic
image gave him the unmatched ability to face opponents, to convince those who
show reluctance and to market any agreement with Israel. Things are now more complicated. It’s true that Palestinian leaders who will
replace Arafat, such as Abu Mazin or others, are pragmatists but are not less
than Arafat. None the less,
circumstances are different and they need time and power to enable them to make
decisions of such level of historicity.”
SAUDI ARABIA: "He Put
Palestine On The Map"
The English-language pro-government Arab News held
(11/12): "Yasser Arafat’s death in
Paris yesterday closes one of the most dramatic chapters in the contemporary
history of the Middle East.... His
40-year-long political career had a much broader impact on regional and world
politics.... Arafat offered an
attractive alternative: People power emanating from the barrel of a gun. As a
long-term strategy, this was doomed to failure. But then there was the law of
unintended consequences. Arafat’s revolutionary politics, condemned by many as
terrorism, achieved what the Arab armies had failed to do: Forcing the world,
and eventually Israel itself, to acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian
nation.... Arafat, however, was destined
to end his life in tragic failure.... It
is too early for us to judge a man of such a stature as Arafat.... The best that the people of Palestine and
their friends can do is to acknowledge Arafat’s achievement but also recognize
his shortcomings. Among the latter was his dogged determination not to allow
Palestinian politics to be institutionalized. His administration was also
marred by incompetence and corruption....
Arafat must be remembered as the man who leaves behind a national
identity.... Once the moment of grief is
gone, the new Palestinian leadership should move quickly to revive the stalled
peace process and prevent the imposition of a unilateral Israeli solution with
the Gaza plan as its prologue.... The
best way to remember Abu Ammar is to work to achieve his dream of an
independent Palestinian state, living in peace and harmony with its
neighbors."
JORDAN: "Father Of A
Movement"
The elite, English-language Jordan Times declared
(11/12): "Yasser Arafat, the
quintessential symbol of Palestinian nationalism...always stood with his
people.... Arafat had different levels
and intensities of fights with almost every single Arab country, irrespective
of ideological bases.... The only
consistent trait about Arafat was his own sense of Palestinian identity and it
was that sense that he preached....
Still Arafat remained the undisputed, unchallenged leader of the
Palestinian people.... But in his
mission to realise an independent Palestinian state Arafat failed. He was never
able to transcend his application of nepotism and favouritism. At the same time, it is unfair to put Arafat
on the same level with other Arab leaders, particularly as Israel never gave
him a chance.... They have
systematically dismantled the Palestinian National Authority--an authority
which many Palestinians and others felt was not a modern structure that would
energise the Palestinians and produce a progressive state."
LEBANON: "The
Post-Arafat Era"
Nasir Al-Asaad noted in pro-Hariri Al-Mustaqbal
(11/12): “With the death of Abou-Ammar,
an era ends.... Perhaps this era should
have ended before now.... The
Palestinian people are in a very difficult situation.... What was taboo during Arafat’s era might not
be a taboo after his death. The new
leadership is as protective of the Palestinian cause as Arafat, however, its
political mind is different than Arafat’s and its ability is less than Arafat’s
abilities.... The Palestinian people
have not started a historic process towards regaining Palestine...despite all
these years of struggle.... Lebanon’s
experience with Arafat deserves to be studied and discussed to learn from the
mistakes...however, there is no doubt that Beirut was immortalized in Arafat’s
conscience.”
"The Father Is Gone And The Mother Nation Will Stay
Together"
Rafiq Khoury commented in centrist Al-Anwar (11/12): "Arafat made an epic of one of the
toughest conflicts using three weapons: the rifle, an olive branch, and a
pen. He placed his people on the world’s
map with a rifle. He brought his people
back to geography (i.e. worked on statehood) with an olive branch, and he
signed orders and checks with a pen....
However, the complicated circumstances of his efforts towards reaching statehood
led to wars that almost wiped Jordan and Lebanon out of history.... The events that followed Arafat’s death were
expected. His comrades in Fatah
distributed his many hats.... As for
Sharon, who always used Arafat as a pretext for refusing to negotiate with the
Palestinians, he will have to search for another pretext.... No one knows how things will develop but we
have to learn from Arafat’s mistakes. He
grabbed all the keys of authority and played with money then left without even
having a home."
"The Last Stop"
Sateh Noureddine averred in Arab nationalist As-Safir
(11/12): "As long as Arafat is not
buried in Jerusalem, his death will continue to raise doubts and concerns. Being buried in Jerusalem is not merely a
personal wish.... To be buried in
Jerusalem means that the bitter conflict between the Arabs and the Jews has
ended.... Ramallah is only few
kilometers far from Jerusalem, however, this short distance strewn with Israeli
obstacles.... The Palestinians had the
opportunity to insist on burying Arafat in Jerusalem...or any area that
overlooks the Al-Aqsa Mosque....
Arafat’s death did not bring his people any closer to Jerusalem.”
"That Who Will Always Return"
Samir Kassir opined in moderate, anti-Syrian An-Nahar
(11/12): “Arafat was never afraid of
death.... He faced it so many
times.... Arafat had to confront being
besieged three times...but we have to remember that he chose to face these
confrontations. When the Israeli Army
invaded Lebanon in June 1982, Arafat was outside Lebanon, but he returned to
Beirut to face the Israeli barricade.
The next year, when he returned to Tripoli (Lebanon) he realized that he
would have to face being barricaded again....
Even when he was in Ramallah barricaded in by the Israelis, he chose to
be there.... A man with this degree of
courageousness...how can he be a man who looks for a peace settlement? This was his difficult dilemma.... However, he realized early that a peace
settlement is necessary.... The
Palestinians have not defeated their enemy yet...and Arafat was not able to
build an independent Palestinian state...however, he did what is even more
difficult...he did the impossible! When
Arafat succeeded in returning to Gaza with 300,000 fighters ten years ago, He
confirmed that the march towards Palestine had begun.”
MOROCCO: "Arafat...The
Leader And The Cause"
Nationalist Arabic-language Al Alam stated (11/12): "Arafat has died, but not the
Palestinian cause that he defended. (This cause) will blaze on, imposing itself
as an invariable that can not be eliminated until the Palestinian people
achieve their national legitimate rights."
"Seven Lives"
Khalid Belyazid observed in independent French-language L'Economiste
(11/12): "Arafat's death shows the
power of life, the power of his own life. A fighter, he even fought death,
making the world hold its breath. He offered himself the luxury, through his
own death, of snatching the spotlight from Bush, who was not allowed to enjoy
his victory in peace. That was the last bad joke he played on America, the
friend of the enemy."
"The Palestinian People Have Been Left Orphans By Their
Leader, The Last Of The Brave"
Editor-in-Chief Abdellatif Mansour said in independent
French-language weekly Maroc Hebdo (11/12): "Is it still good to be an Arab? Of
course, one cannot shed one's genetic-ethnic clothing with complete
impunity...which is all that remains of your own culture when all else has been
forgotten.... Arafat, who placed the
Palestinian cause at our disposal is no longer at our disposal. We risk not
having a cause anymore to justify the fact of being Arabs. The Palestinians will not become
Scandinavians, as Ariel Sharon is demanding in exchange for their safety. But
they could decide to become simply Palestinians, resigning themselves to live
and die in silence in their miniscule Territories. The only recourse we’ll have to console
ourselves about our atrophied identities will be Jacques Chirac, the last
leader of the Arab state."
UAE: "Arafat Kept Idea
Of Palestine Alive"
The expatriate-oriented English-language Gulf News
maintained (11/12): "History has
generally been kind to resistance leaders and in the case of Yasser Arafat it
might be kinder still. For sheer staying power alone, Arafat stood with the
best of them from any epoch.... The
generous view...is that after being wedded to the cause for 37 years, since
1967, Arafat had succumbed to the all-too-human feeling that he was
Palestine. Despite Arafat's heroic
struggle, vested interests, specifically the far right in Israel, used every
trick in the book to stop him from getting any kind of deal for the
Palestinians.... Arafat stayed resolute
in the face of mounting Palestinian deaths....
To be sure, many Palestinians who desperately wished him success were
also candid enough to accept his failures. Arafat was faulted for failing to
handle infighting by various Palestinian groups, take a tougher line against
corruption and encouraging cronyism. Many have also questioned his
accomplishments, given that even the roadmap remains in limbo. Despite all this, the reality is that Yasser
Arafat kept the very idea of Palestine alive.... As the outpouring of grief and respect among
Palestinians everywhere...shows, Arafat will be remembered for bringing the
Palestinian issue to centre stage...and keeping it there.... And the calm, dignified manner in which
Palestine's new leadership has been put in place Mahmoud Abbas as head of the
PLO and Farouq Al Qaddumi of Fatah, joining incumbent Prime Minster Ahmad Qorei
is proof enough that the struggle will continue until Palestinian statehood is
realised. That will be the greatest tribute the world can pay Yasser
Arafat."
"Cry Freedom"
The English-language expatriate-oriented Khaleej
Times noted (11/12): "Yasser
Arafat is dead. A colossus has departed from the world stage.... Arafat's most obvious contribution was his
success in catapulting the Palestinian cause on to the world stage and keeping
it there until he himself departed from this world. Through sheer grit, resolve, hard work and
heroic commitment, he put the Palestinian question on the world's
agenda.... Arafat's fierce and fearless
championing of the cause, through the bloody trenches of Beirut to the
corridors of power around the world, transformed the Palestinian struggle into
a legendary resistance movement, which evokes sympathy, respect and support of
the international community.... Little
wonder then he inspired unprecedented love and loyalty among his
people.... What is most tragic is that
the Palestinian leader was not able to lead his people finally to the promised
dawn of freedom.... But does that make
Arafat a failure? Answer to that would be a resounding 'no' from thousands of
defiant Palestinians.... The Palestinian
leader's success lay in making the free Palestine a cause of every Palestinian
and every human being on the earth who loves freedom. Arafat's success lies in
the fact that although he's dead, his cause is far from dead."
EAST ASIA
AUSTRALIA:
"Change To Get Back On Road To Peace In Middle East"
The liberal Age of Melbourne editorialized (Internet
version, 11/12): "Whether
the so-called road map to peace can be resurrected in its existing form remains
to be seen. This may depend largely on
the eventual make-up of a Palestinian leadership that is still being
determined. More fundamentally it will
depend on the willingness of those involved to renounce terrorism as a tactic
and to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. Mr. Arafat had been prepared for more
than a decade to accept the reality of the latter, while his standing on the
former was at best ambiguous. Israel,
for its part, will need to accept Palestinian statehood. That much is implicit in Israel's recognition
of the road map. Israel must also resist
the temptation of seeking to influence Mr. Arafat's succession.... The role for the U.S. in this process is
clear. It has sufficient influence to
play the role of broker between the two sides and this will be a real test for
the second Bush administration…. The two-state solution encompassing a secure
Israel and a Palestine that is territorially workable is the only viable path
to a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Both sides must learn to trust their neighbors, they must show courage
beyond that found in conflict. Mr.
Sharon has said before it is not in Israel's interest to govern
Palestinians. He must match that
rhetoric with actions beyond a partial withdrawal from the occupied
territories. If Palestinians truly want
to honor the memory of Mr. Arafat, then they must move beyond terrorism as a
means to achieve an end."
CHINA:
"Regrettable"
Official Renmin Ribao (People's Daily)
declared (11/12): "Arafat was
unable to build a completely sovereign state in the modern sense and departed from
this world, which was extremely regrettable. But people believe that the
Palestinian people can certainly follow in Arafat's footsteps, and continue to
walk the road of peace. There will always be a day when Arafat's unfinished
cause can be achieved."
CHINA (HONG KONG SAR):
"Arafat Fails To Escape The Fate Of Being Suppressed"
Mass-circulation Chinese-language Apple Daily News remarked
(11/12): "Struggling for existence
on the brink of death, the Chairman of the Palestinian government, Yasser
Arafat, died yesterday. The Palestinian
government will hold a state funeral today to mourn for the leader who has
sought building a Palestinian state for over 40 years. In the meantime, Palestinian people are
filled with sorrow over the death of Arafat, but they are not taking any
radical actions, nor are they launching any attacks. We hope that the Palestinian self-government
and the Palestinian people can continue to remain calm. Under the situation of a great disparity of
strength, any attack by the Palestinian people will only incur tough
suppression from Israel and Arafat's dream of establishing a Palestinian State
will be even harder to realize....
Arafat and the Palestinian people he represented have indeed been 'the
weak' for the past 50 years; they have been homeless and suppressed. Arafat did not manage to get rid of this
fate, even when he died. It should be a
big regret for him."
"Bush Should Facilitate Palestinian-Israel Peace Talks"
Independent Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily News declared (11/12): "Will Arafat's death generate a new
reign of terror in Palestine and Israel, or will it bring about a new
opportunity for peace? To a large
degree, it will depend on whether U.S. President Bush's conscience is
affected. As a close ally of Bush, British
Prime Minister Blair has already suggested the main topic of today's bilateral
meeting should be the Palestinian-Israel issue.
He seems to be looking to help Bush find a way out of his predicament. Bush also said that he wants to pursue the
establishment of the Palestinian State and Middle East peace in his second
term. If the Middle East peace process
can be resumed after Arafat's death and both Palestine and Israel can return to
the road map for peace, is that not also a key to counter international
terrorism?"
"The End Of Arafat's Era:
The Road To Peace Is Hard"
Pro-PRC Chinese-language Ta Kung Pao declared (11/11): "The core of the Middle East issue is
conflicts between Palestine and Israel.
These conflicts are complicated and long lasting. Violent activities in this region are most
active. Arafat spent his whole life
seeking Palestinian-Israel peace.
Nevertheless, he died without accomplishing this task. At this time, people should pay attention to
the internal unity of Palestine. While
mourning for Arafat, Palestinian people should be rational and unite together
for the sake of their people. They
should stop any chaos and violence and quickly return to peace talks. The U.S. and Israel should show that they
have come to understand thoroughly and they must make necessary
concessions. They should take actual and
sincere actions to untie the knot of Palestinian-Israel conflicts. This is the only way that peace can be
returned to the Middle East and the world.
The international community and particularly the Islamic countries in
the Middle East should actively promote Palestinian-Israel peace talks because
peace in Palestine and Israel will benefit the Arab countries and tranquility
will return to the turbulent Middle East."
JAPAN: "Avoid Internal
Chaos"
Liberal Tokyo Shimbun noted (11/12): "Despite criticism of his tolerance for
corruption, the late Arafat enjoyed great popularity among the Palestinian
people. However, he arrogated power to himself
and failed to nurture any successors.
His biggest oversight was to allow Israeli Prime Minister Sharon to
abandon peace efforts. Palestine, under
the new collective leadership led by new PLO Chairman Abbas, should not
tolerate acts of violence by Islamic fundamentalists. The international community must do its
utmost to resume peace talks. President
Bush must also act as a fair mediator between Israelis and Palestinians."
"Avoid Confusion"
Liberal Mainichi editorialized (11/12): "The death of the charismatic
Palestinian leader could lead to further conflict in the Middle East. It is vital that all parties concerned resume
peace efforts. We would urge both Israel
and Palestine to exercise self-restraint in order to avoid possible confusion
created by the post-Arafat vacuum.
Meanwhile, the U.S. must cooperate with the international community in
dealing with the Middle East issue.
President Bush needs to initiate mediation efforts based on the Middle
East Roadmap. The international
community should use Arafat's death as an opportunity to bring peace to the
region."
"Opportunity For Middle East Peace"
Liberal Asahi editorialized (11/12): "Yasser Arafat was the only person to
unite the Palestinian people and tell the world of their plight. However, his overwhelming influence and
obstinate position on Palestinian independence limited Middle East peace
efforts. He also defiantly rejected
criticism and failed to deal with corruption.
The international community should use the death of the self-righteous
politician as an opportunity to revive the Middle East peace talks, which are
on the verge of collapse. There are many
kinds of political groups among Palestinians--ranging from radical terrorists
to moderate centrists. They should
immediately stop their internal disputes and include participants from a wide
range of sects in a new political framework.
Meanwhile, Israel should agree to hold negotiations with the
Palestinians if Arafat's successor shows sincere efforts to eliminate terrorism. Israel must also stop its oppression of the
Palestinian people. Members of the
global community, including the U.S., the EU and the U.N., need to make a
concerted effort to put the Middle East peace process back on track."
"Turning Point For Palestine?"
Top-circulation moderate Yomiuri insisted (11/12): "Palestine now stands at a crucial
moment in its future. Following Arafat's
death, the formation of a collective leadership led by former Prime Minister
Abbas and current Prime Minister Qurei is likely. Filling the 'political vacuum' left by Arafat
is the key to Palestine's future. The
new leadership must take an unyielding position on radical terrorists in order
to gain international support. The loss
of Arafat is an opportunity for President Bush to exercise leadership in
restarting the Middle East peace process."
INDONESIA: "The World
In Sorrow, Arafat Leaves Giant Work"
Leading independent Kompas commented
(11/12): "Tragically, Arafat
himself did not have a chance to witness the establishment of the Palestinian
state he fought for. The Palestinian issue feels absurd because it is the only former colony that has not successfully
established an independent country. After World War II, former colonies were
made free countries, including Israel in 1948.... The future of Palestinian’s struggle will be
determined by a figure who will take the leadership chain from Arafat. Not less
important is the support from all the Palestinian people. Whoever replaces
Arafat, the new Palestine leader is expected to finish and complete their
struggle. Of course history will keep remembering us of Arafat because he
deserves to be remembered and kept in mind.”
"The World Cries For Arafat’s Death"
Muslim intellectual Republika argued
(11/12): "It is Abu Ammar’s
enthusiasm and fighting spirit that the world is crying for. Not only by the
Palestinian but the world community, who want peace, justice, and a prosperous
life. The world community that is free from colonization, oppression and
tyranny. With the death of Abu Ammar, the world has lost a figure whose life
gave inspiration to colonized countries to fight against oppression and
colonization.... Now, the symbol of struggle
to fight against oppression and colonization is gone. However, Palestine and
other nations that want freedom, justice, and the world peace will inherit his
enthusiasm and fighting spirit.”
MALAYSIA:
"Courage"
Government-influenced Utusan Malaysia
declared (11/12): "Even though
Yasser has left the Palestinian people forever, his courage and good will have
become eternal motivation for the Palestinian people to deal with Israel.... Without Yasser, we fear that Israel will
exploit the current situation in Palestine."
PHILIPPINES:
"Likely To Give Way To More Violence"
The liberal Today said (11/12): "If Arafat, who has been hailed by the
Western world with no less than a Nobel Prize, could not achieve Palestinian
statehood through peaceful means, what chance is there that his successors in
the Palestinian Authority would be more successful? His death is likely to give
way to even more violence, contrary to the expectations of the Zionist leaders
of Israel and their American sponsors.
For years, the likes of Ariel Sharon had looked forward to Arafat’s
elimination from the Middle East scene. Now that they’ve got what they wanted,
they may soon realize the wisdom behind the adage 'Be careful what you wish
for, you just might get it.' As the Israelis will."
"No One Can Predict Where Palestinians Are
Headed"
The editorial of the independent Philippine Star read
(11/12): "Arafat died yesterday
with peace still elusive in the Middle East, and still without a
homeland.... The wounds of the
Palestinian struggle continue to fester in the Arab world. The U.S. and some of
its allies have tried to detach the conflict from the war on terror. But there
is no denying that Islamist terrorists keep invoking the plight of the
Palestinians in justifying each deadly attack on innocents. And there is no
denying that peace in that part of the Middle East could contribute to world
peace. With the passing of Arafat, no one can predict where the Palestinians
are headed."
THAILAND:
"Palestinians Brace For The End Of An Era"
The independent, English-language Nation said (11/11): "Arafat’s impending demise could
intensify problems, or it could herald a fresh start… Much will depend on how
the main players--Israel, the various Palestinian factions, Arab countries and
the U.S.--react.... The Palestinian
people also suffered because of the corruption and cronyism that flourished
under him and because of his administrative incompetence.... As a result, radical militant groups such as
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have become the principal providers of
education, medicine and other social services neglected by the Palestinian
Administration, making them contenders for an assumption of power in the event
of a succession crisis.... There are now
numerous groups waiting to step in, most of which are identified with one of
the two main Palestinian factions: the PLO’s old guard and the indigenous
population of the West Bank and Gaza that waged the first intifada. In the immediate wake of Arafat’s death.... Abbas will chair the Palestine Liberation
Organisation, while Querei will run the Palestinian National Authority. Both
men are pragmatists interested in reaching a deal with the Israelis, but they
don’t have the popular support to give up long-standing positions on
territory.... Other contenders to assume
the leadership eventually include Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub, the former
security chiefs in Gaza and the West Bank, respectively. They are controversial
figures among Palestinians, but have a relatively good rapport with Israel and
Washington. What they lack is the over-arching legitimacy and popular support
of Arafat.... The best way to resolve
this would be through elections, which would invest a new leadership with
legitimacy.... Another advantage of
elections would be to provide a good basis for Israelis and Palestinians to
resume a dialogue.”
SOUTH ASIA
INDIA:
"Adieu, Arafat"
The pro-BJP right-of-center Pioneer
opined (11/12): "Yasser Arafat was
so many things in his life that, in death, the warts-and-all man can scarcely
be separated from the inspiring myth. A
hero, a god, a living legend to his uprooted people, he fathered Palestinian
nationalism. Yet he was also
international terrorism's first patriarch, head of an armed struggle who
perfected the chilling art of using hijackings and hostage-takings as public
relations. Besieged at the end of his
life, he was Israel's bugbear whose tattered aura found tragic reflection in
Ramallah's ruins. Yet he was the man
with the pioneering vision to recognise Israel's right to exist-and coexist
with Palestinians.... His Janus-face
cannot yet rob Arafat of the world's homage.
There was a constant in the maze-like twists and turns of his life: 'Married to Palestine,' he could never be
accused of infidelity to his cause.
Reviled as an extremist or lauded as a moderate, Arafat had an
unexceptionable goal. He may not have
lived up to the historic charge for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize. But his legacy will forever be associated
with his four decade-long stewardship of a just struggle, and his untiring
spokesmanship for the diaspora he empowered in spirit if not in body. Countless Palestinians feel their aspirations
and hardships would have been forgotten by the world had it not been for Arafat. Even his inability to finally deliver has not
eroded this faith. His true measure can
perhaps be gauged in the very uncertainty that dogs the succession question. His replacement will have to walk the rocky
road to a peace that has so far proved elusive, all the while treading
cautiously to avoid sell-out accusations.
More, he will have to succeed where Arafat faltered, by making a genuine
pledge to achieving Palestinian statehood without winking at terrorist
bloodbaths. With Arafat gone, the Palestinian
movement will be perceived as headless, and thus run the risk of being hijacked
by the forces of Islamic radicalism.
Standing guard is not merely the responsibility of the new Palestinian
leadership, but also the global community.
Arafat's demise once again reminds the world that lasting peace in the
Mideast cannot come till the Palestinians find a home--and Israel feels secure
at home."
PAKISTAN: "Yasser
Arafat’s Death And His Incomplete Mission"
An editorial in second-largest Urdu-language Nawa-e-Waqt
read (11/12): "Although Yasser
Arafat was the founder and the moving spirit behind the Palestinian cause; he
backed out from this cause by signing the Oslo Accord. He remained silent on the U.S. attack,
occupation and bombardment of Iraq perhaps because he did not want to lose the
little U.S. support that he had.
However, it can be said that Arafat did nothing else except fight for
the Palestinian cause throughout his life; he avoided aligning himself, through
words or deeds, with any Muslim issue or
movement.... However, his death has
created a vacuum that cannot be filled. He has left his mission, whatever its
worth, incomplete."
"End Of An Era"
Karachi-based center-left independent national English-language Dawn
declared (11/12): "Yasser Arafat
has fought his last battle.... An era
has ended in the epic history of liberation struggles. Arafat's death removes a major actor from the
world scene and throws open the big question about the future of the
Palestinian movement, especially its leadership.... He had made his enemies accept the principle
of a Palestinian state with Al Quds as its capital, and this was a great
achievement for a leader who had to fight for his cause single-handed. With the sole exception of Fidel Castro, he
was on the world scene longer than any of today's leaders, with his military
uniform and the kaffiyeh becoming a symbol of the Palestinian people's will to
fight on. Israel may now deny him his
right to be buried in Al Quds, his birthplace, but it cannot deny Mohammad
Abdel-Rawf Arafat al-Hussaini his place in history."
"Iconic Yasser Arafat"
Center-right Urdu-language Pakistan thundered (11/12): "Debate will continue for a long time on
whether Yasser Arafat attained his
objective through the establishment of the Palestinian Authority or not, but
what he gained is before the entire world and Arafat should not be ashamed of
it.... The fact is that Arafat fought
alone to free Baitul Muqaddas from Israel; had the OIC, Arab League or the Gulf
Cooperation Council lent any support in this struggle, at least Arafat could
have been buried in Jerusalem. The world
is today facing the reaction of the treatment it meted out to the Palestinians
and Arafat. The spirit of resistance
could not be quelled even by restricting Arafat to his headquarters. This resistance is visible not only in Israel
today, but also America, Russia, France, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Indonesia and
Pakistan. This resistance has been
termed terrorism, and a war is going on to crush it. Only history will prove whether this form of
resistance--suicide attacks--is legitimate or not, but it has become the
world’s greatest problem today."
KAZAKHSTAN: "Truth Of
Life And Miserable Thirst For Death"
Sergey Kozlov wrote in pro-government weekly Novoye Pokoleniye
(11/12): "Of course, Arafat has
been neither an angel, nor an altruist. Israelis in many respects are
absolutely right when they consider him responsible for a terrorist war against
them. In this war, as in any other war,
everyone has their own truth, which, however, can’t justify cruelty and
innocent victims.... But now we are
talking not about that, but about the play around an ill and dying person,
whose opinion already could not affect the course of this war, nor the actions
of his supporters. A person who, despite
all blame, continued to be honest and consistent throughout all of his
life. He will forever remain a symbol of
struggle of his people, as well as an eternal enemy of another people, who once
also achieved its goals using terrorist acts, explosions and assassination of
political opponents.”
AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA:
"Symbolized The Struggle"
The liberal Star observed (11/12):
"Yasser Arafat, loved as a freedom fighter and reviled as a
terrorist...is dead. And even in the
throes of death, he was as enigmatic as in life as rumours abounded about his
condition in a Paris clinic.... He
nevertheless symbolised, like Mandela, the struggle of a tragic people
dispossessed of their homeland through the machinations of countries like
Britain."
MADAGASCAR: "A
Different Dimension"
French-language pro-government Les Nouvelles
opined (11/12): "Terrorist that he
was, Yasser Arafat took a different dimension to international politics by
giving his compatriots a real and sovereign state on the historical ground of
their ancestors."
TANZANIA: "Middle East
Deserves Lasting Peace"
The independent English-language Citizen commented
(11/12): "What next? That is the
question on many a lip now that Yasser Arafat, the icon of Palestinian national
aspirations, is dead.... Arafat remains
a man without a country, never having really realised his long-cherished dream
of Palestinian' statehood.... He was a
survivor himself, escaping death in a plane crash, surviving many assassination
attempts by Israeli intelligence agencies, and recovering from a serious
stroke.... Arafat had been invariably
described as the stumbling block to the peace process in the Middle East. Now that he is gone, a befitting way to
honour him is for all peace-loving people in the Middle East to chart the way
forward. For Israel, peace is what most
of its people want.... In the dusty
refugee camps in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Arafat will be remembered as
a nationalist and liberator, whose heroic deeds forced the world to pay
attention. His legacy has been to put
the Palestinian cause on the map. Those due to step into his shoes must make
his dream of an independent state of Palestine come true. This means a state
that will live at peace with its neighbours.”
"The Middle East Is Poorer"
The English-language state-owned broadsheet Daily News
observed (11/12): "The President of
the Palestine Authority, the icon of the Palestinian cause, Yasser Arafat, is
no more.... It is a sad ending of an
illustrious Third World hero. With
Arafat’s death, the world has not gained.
It has lost. The Middle East is
not wealthier either. It is
poorer.... Arafat...dedicated the whole
of his life to the liberation of his homeland.... It is very sad he has died without seeing the
lofty dream come true. To Palestinians,
it is an obvious big loss. Arafat cannot
be replaced.... Arafat’s adversaries
have told the world they are better off without him.... But they will sooner or later realize how
indispensable Arafat was in the Middle East peace process. They might soon face terrible difficulties in
having a negotiated political settlement without Arafat. It is shameful Arafat’s adversaries never hid
their hatred.... Arafat has died a great
leader who cannot be belittled.... The
best way of honoring Arafat by Palestinians is to avoid jostling for
power. That should be the last thing to
do. They should pick from where he has
left. They must ensure a smooth
transition and carry on until the world sees to the Middle East an independent
Palestinian state co-existing with Israel.”
UGANDA: "U.S. Must Now
Back Moderates"
The state-owned New Vision editorialized (11/12): "Yasser Arafat has died in
Paris.... Arafat was controversial. The Israelis condemned him as a terrorist, while
many middle class Palestinians were frustrated with his indecision and lack of
managerial skills. Israel hated Arafat
believing he supported suicide bombers.
Unfortunately Israel’s reckless aggression helped the Palestinian
extremists gain support. The Bush
administration shares the blame in this regard because it has gave tacit
approval to almost every Israeli attack and did not try to enforce the Middle
East roadmap to peace. President Bush
has been signaling that it might be possible to resurrect the roadmap towards
Palestinian statehood now that Arafat is gone.
This is too simplistic. The
issues are far bigger than one man alone.
Nevertheless, it is vital that the United States now intervenes to try
and support moderation on both sides: in Palestine, it is important that power
passes smoothly to the hands of veteran PLO leaders like Mahmood Abbas; and in
Israel, the hardliners should be discouraged from disrupting the smooth
transition of authority in the hope of crushing the Palestinian state for all
time."
WESTERN HEMISPHERE
CANADA: "Death Of A
Dreamer"
Foreign affairs analyst Eric Margolis observed in the conservative
tabloid Ottawa Sun (11/12):
"In waging his epic struggle, Arafat made many grave mistakes. He was autocratic, allowed corruption to
flourish, and always secretive. His
management of Palestinian finances may well blow up into a tawdry scandal
tarnishing his reputation. He was seen
even by Arab admirers as too foxy and clever by half. But without Arafat, Palestinians would have
remained a phantom, forgotten people. He
led them to within distant sight of their own Promised Land."
"Arafat's Death Leaves Void"
The conservative Halifax Herald
editorialized (Internet version, 11/12):
"To the end, Yasser Arafat remained an enigma. The Palestinian leader had long promised his
people a proudly independent state; he left them humiliated in a dangerous,
impoverished ghetto. Mr. Arafat won the
Nobel Peace Prize for extending an olive branch of peace to Israel; he lost any
standing with the U.S. administration for launching a bloody, doomed-to-failure
intifada that left his would-be country a shambles. But despite it all, despite the vast
corruption and mismanagement, the autocratic rule that destroyed an emerging
Palestinian middle class and the refusal to share power with moderate
associates who sought an end to failed policies, Mr. Arafat somehow retained an
image among Palestinians as a beloved father figure. He seemed never quite able to give up being
the Palestinian revolutionary, even when circumstances and the aspirations of
his own people cried out for a statesman.
His legacy will reflect that he built Fatah, the main Palestinian
resistance organization, and long led the Palestinian Liberation Organization,
but also that he often chose violence instead of accommodation, difficult, to
be sure, with his lifelong enemies. Mr.
Arafat's death leaves a dangerous void, a foreseeable consequence of his
refusal to cede power or appoint a clear successor. In a worst case scenario, rival power factions
now competing for influence in the Palestinian territories may ignite a civil
war. But Mr. Arafat's passing also
brings hope, that the new era dawning may include a road to true peace."
"Yasser Arafat's Ultimate Failure"
The leading Globe and Mail opined (11/12): "Above all things, Yasser Arafat was a
revolutionary.... But...he was unable to
deliver what [the Palestinians] wanted and needed most: a country.
It was a tragic, unforgivable failure for which he himself bears the
primary blame. First, give him his
due. Mr. Arafat put the Palestinians on
the map.... What he failed to do was
convert that currency into real gains for his people. It has been said of the Palestinians that
they never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Mr. Arafat proved it again and again.... All Israel's fault? Mr. Arafat always said so. But no nation should be expected to give in
to a movement that is devoted to its destruction and whose tactics include
blowing up buses full of innocent people.
Though Israel is hardly without fault, the onus lay on Mr. Arafat to
show that he was a serious partner in the pursuit of peace. He never did.... By far the greatest failure of his career
came in the summer of 2000. At the Camp
David talks with U.S. president Bill Clinton and Israeli prime minister Ehud
Barak, Mr. Arafat had the opportunity of all opportunities. I srael made it
clear that it was willing to accept an independent Palestinian state on most of
the West Bank and Gaza, with a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem. Mr. Arafat said it was not enough and walked
away.... Mr. Arafat's world view
remained unchanged through five decades.
The Israelis were interlopers in the Middle East who had stolen
Palestinian land. The only answer to
that injustice was to defeat and eject the interloper and take the land back,
either through armed struggle or appeal to international opinion. And the struggle must continue until total
victory, whatever the cost. It is that
mindset that post-Arafat Palestinians must overcome. Israel exists. It has a right to exist. Whatever the injustices of the past,
Palestinians must accept that fact.
'Politics,' Mr. Arafat himself once said, 'remains the art of the
possible and must not be based on the spirit's preferences and chimerical
dreams.' Ever the revolutionary, always
the warrior, Yasser Arafat never put those words into practice. His successors must."
"Farewell Too A Terrorist"
The conservative National Post editorialized (11/12): "Everything about Mr. Arafat was fraudulent--from
the lie that he was born in Jerusalem, to his absurd claim that the Jews have
no historical connection to that same city, to his numerous empty oaths to
renounce terror. But no lies were more
destructive than the ones he told his own people. Thanks to Mr. Arafat, Palestinians lived in a
world of make-believe in which Israel's Jews could be driven into the sea
through terror, refugees who had festered in camps for half a century would one
day reclaim properties in Tel Aviv and Haifa, and Mr. Arafat himself would
march into Jerusalem a conquering hero."
"Time To Revive Mideast Hope"
The liberal Toronto Star commented
(Internet version, 11/12): "As
Palestinians gather today to bury Arafat, and to ponder his failure to deliver
the state he promised, they can honor [Arafat's] memory by building the peace
with Israel he pledged in 1993, before he let terror bombers subvert that noble
project. If the Palestinian state is to
rise one day, it must rise from a foundation of peace. The chants of 'Death to Israel' that echoed
in Palestinian areas yesterday were not hopeful signs. Nor was the burning of American and Israeli
flags, and the vow by Hamas extremists to attack the 'Zionist enemy.' They were stark reminders that Palestinian
leaders must urgently nurture a spirit of tolerance, realism and compromise in
their people. But hearts need changing
on the Israeli side, too. Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's aide Dov Weisglass recently described Israel's unilateral
withdrawal from Gaza and part the West Bank as a bid to 'prevent the
establishment of a Palestinian state' by closing off the peace process. That would be a disaster.... It must be reversed, not
institutionalized. U.S. President George
W. Bush sees Arafat's death as 'a significant moment,' and rightly so. The new crop of Palestinian leaders...all
advocate a negotiated, two-state solution.
If Israel can deal with any Palestinians, it is with men like
these. While Bush envisaged a viable
Palestinian state by 2005, he has been disengaged for too long. That must change. He must urge Palestinians to rally behind
Arafat's successors in the coming days and weeks, to avert a slide into
chaos.... But Arafat's successors will
need help weaning people from violence.
Bush should press Sharon, too, to ease the military and economic pressure. To reroute Israel's security fence. And to dismantle settlements. And Bush can push both sides to reopen peace
talks. Palestinians must shun terror, of
course, once and for all.... As long as
Israel's security is in doubt, Palestinians will remain stateless. But Bush must urge Israelis, as well, to come
to terms with a Palestinian state that includes a capital in Jerusalem's Arab
districts and which covers most of the now-occupied areas. That was what former prime minister Ehud
Barak offered, knowing that Israel's best security lies in peace."
"What Comes After Arafat?"
Judith Colp Rubin commented in the conservative National
Post (Internet version, 11/11):
"Arafat's death poses a...threat...[that] as potential candidates
jockey for leadership in a post-Arafat era, most will see adopting a hard-line
view against Israel as an asset.
Promoting actual attacks on Israel would be seen as a sure way to
enhance a group's stature, as well as to promote unity among Palestinian groups
by directing violence outward in the uncertain period following Arafat's
death. Rather than engage in complex and
divisive debates about nationalism versus Islamism, moderation versus
militancy, the best form of government, or who should be picked as leader, all
disagreements could be subsumed in a wave of anger, hatred and violence
directed against Jews.... Of course,
there is another possible scenario for Israel in light of Arafat's death: a new and more moderate leader could emerge
ready to make a peace deal.... But the
ability of moderates to do anything in reality--like making a full effort to
stop terrorism--whatever their good intentions, is going to be limited for some
time: with passions running high over
Arafat's death, their main short-term priority will be to protect themselves
and prevent the Palestinian territories from sliding into violent
anarchy."
ARGENTINA:
"Dreams"
J. M. Pasquini Duran remarked in left-of-center Pagina 12
(11/12): "The death of
Arafat...will reduce to a minimal expression the number of emblematic leaders
of the second half of the 20th century....
Even his opponents will have to acknowledge that he personified the
Palestinian cause, set it in the international scene and sustained it in spite
of the huge difficulties he met; he had to fight against adversaries from
within and out of the Palestinian-Israeli labyrinth. This kind of leadership cannot be replaced,
regardless of the fact that those who succeed him could do a more perfect
work. The pain of tens of thousands of
Palestinians speaks itself of the magnitude of the loss, even taking into
account the critical points of view on Arafat's management and
leadership."
BRAZIL:
"A Cursed Person"
Center-right O Globo editorialized (11/12): “Arafat’s most concrete legacy is a
paradoxical abstraction: the sense of
identity that he, with his energy and leadership ability, instilled in the
Palestinians...the aspiration for an independent state--internationally
recognized as a right, thanks to him.
But Arafat died covered with the civilian blood he willingly shed, making
him a cursed person in eyes of history.
One of his unforgivable mistakes...was the use of terror as an
instrument of political pressure.
Judging by the violence of the Intifada...the olive branch he took to
the UN in 1974 never extinguished the hatred symbolized by the empty holster he
carried on that occasion. As Lady Macbeth would say, not even all the
perfume from Arabia would take the smell of blood from his hands.”
"A Golden Opportunity For Peace"
Independent Jornal do Brasil commented (11/12): “Arafat’s death, seen by Bush and the Israeli
government as the greatest obstacle to the end of conflicts in the Middle East,
opens up a golden opportunity for peace in
the region. On the Palestinian
side, it all depends on the ability and
precision with which the acting leaders can raise the spirits of the people now
that they have been exacerbated by the emotion of having lost their charismatic
leader. It takes willpower, authority
and the (right) disposition to restrain the extremists who lean toward violence. On the Israeli side, peace can be hurried if Ariel Sharon manages
to interrupt the construction of the West Bank settlements.... These are huge challenges, to good will and
action. Coexistence with Israel has to
be included in the list of priorities of the transitional Palestinian
Government. It is a priority that should
be approved of by the moral authority of the UN and its effectiveness should be
guaranteed by the U.S. government and the European Community leaders. The rest is just a promise of violence that
ignores the road to peace.”
"Arafat's Legacy"
Liberal Folha de S. Paulo noted (11/12): "Yasser Arafat's death left the
Palestinians without a leader that symbolizes their fight for an independent
state, but it may paradoxically energize peace negotiations that have been
stalled since the failure of the Camp David summit in 2000.... Now there are new [peace talks]
possibilities. According to the best
scenario the division of power agreed upon between Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed
Qurei will permit the election of a renewed and moderate leadership capable of
repelling terrorism and resuming peace negotiations. In the worst hypothesis, the Palestinian
power will be fragmented among several groups, thereby making impossible any
agreement."
"New Opening For Peace"
Center-right O Estado de S. Paulo opined (11/12): "The Arafat era is over.... But success of both the post-Arafat era and
the fate of this opening will depend on Israel and the U.S. as much as on the
Palestinians.... A long and certainly
rough road will have to be covered even by Israelis who wish a viable
Palestinian state and by those Palestinians who believe that terrorism is a
moral offense and a political mistake....
Even so, this course must be taken without delay.... It is more likely that the future Palestinian
Authority president will be a moderate than a radical.... With the inauguration of Arafat's legitimate
successor, Israel and the U.S. will have the 'peace partner' they said Arafat
never was."
CHILE:
"The Future Of The Palestinian Cause"
Government-owned, editorially independent La
Nacion editorialized (Internet version, 11/12): "The passing of Yasser Arafat, who will
rest finally in the land for whose autonomy he fought for so many years, opens
a stage in which the entire world will be hanging on the actions of his
successors in the Palestinian National Authority and certainly, on the attitude
which the government of Israel will adopt in a situation in which there will no
longer be their old adversary. It will
be very important that [that there be in] the post-Arafat era a cohesive
Palestinian leadership that turns to a realistic platform with open
consciousness of what is necessary to garner legitimacy both with its own
people and with the international community....
We hope that peace and the dream of autonomy finally arrives in the land
of Arafat."
COLOMBIA: "Courage And
Obstinacy, Legacy Of Arafat"
Medellin-based, center-right El Colombiano
editorialized (Internet version, 11/12):
"One day after the death of Yasser Arafat the history of the
Palestinian people could change as long as their leaders follow some of his
teachings and forget others. An
opportunity to examine the horizon and realize the dream of a Palestinian
State.... Loved by his people and hated
by his adversaries he provoked as much affection as fear in the entire
world. Modern history placed him in the
gallery of global icons. He inscribed
the cause of the Palestinian people in the international political
agenda.... The Palestinian State is a
legitimate cause of the Palestinians and international community thanks to this
symbol of courage and obstinacy. Events
are developing.... If the vote favors
[Mahmoud Abbas as successor], maybe there will be advances towards peace, now
that the main obstacle for Israel has ceased to exist."
JAMAICA:
"Hope After Arafat?"
The moderate, influential Jamaica Gleaner
had this to say (Internet version, 11/12):
" Arafat's sudden departure from the machinations of Middle East
politics, coming shortly after President Bush won a second term...opens up hope
for a new approach to peace in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Much will depend on whether an interim
Palestinian government is made up of moderates like Ahmed Qurei and Mahmud
Abbas who will support the rule of law and suppress the militant left. This will allow Mr. Ariel Sharon, prime
minister of Israel, to hold out an olive branch by agreeing to an exchange of
prisoners and speeding up the removal of Jewish settlers in the Gaza
Strip. In this scenario, President Bush,
having won re-election, can be more even-handed in pursuing his 'two state'
policy and if the Palestinian/Israeli conflict shows signs of being resolved
this will go a far way in ensuring peace and stability throughout the region."
##
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