ments in the Palestinian Authority.
occupation ends," Abu-Zuhri said.
Among them are former Gaza Strip secu-
It has become commonplace to say,
rity chief Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril
that Arafat did not prepare the stage for
Rajoub, a West Bank security adviser to
his succession, but the situation is more
Arafat.
nuanced. Despite ups and downs in rela-
Both are "insiders" who spent time in
tions between Arafat, Qurei and Abbas,
Israeli jails in the 1970s and 1980s and
in a number of interviews over the past
have acquired considerable experience
two years Arafat specifically spoke of
neo-otiatinc, with Israeli leaders over the
them as his political heirs.
past decade. Though they no longer are
Though Israel blames Arafat for the
officially in charge of security organs,
collapse of the peace process and the out-
they remain politically powerful and may
break of the intifada, he left the scene for
emerge as candidates for the Palestinian
the two politicians with, the richest and
leadership.
most positive records of talks with Israel.
Another important figure is Marwan
Both are architects of the Oslo Accords.
Barghouti, leader of the Tanzim, the ter-
Arafat appointed Abbas as prime min-
Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmed urei at a Palestinian parliament session in 2003.
ister in April 2003, following heavy pres-
rorist wing of Arafat's Fatah faction.
Barghouti's popularity is believed to be
sure from the United States and the
European Union. It was during Abbas'
second only to Arafat's among the
mitment to temporarily hold back anti-Israeli violence.
term as prime minister that Hamas agreed to a hudna,
Palestinians.
In what could prove to be a challenge to Qurei, Hamas
or ceasefire, though it collapsed after three months.
But for now Barghouti's role is limited: He is serving
has said it's looking for a formal role in Palestinian
Abbas met openly with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
several life sentences in an Israeli jail for involvement in
decision-making.
— and in Jerusalem, not at the borders of Gaza or in
terrorism. He has been on record as supporting Abbas,
"This time is very sensitive. It's a historic time. There
but the longer he remains in jail the stronger his image
neutral territory around the globe, as Arafat had done.
is no space for any unilateral decisions," Hamas
For his part, Dahlan, who served as Abbas' defense
becomes as a sort of Palestinian Nelson Mandela.
spokesman Sarni Abu-Zuhri said. "Everyone now is
minister, met regularly with his Israeli counterpart,
For the time being, though, it seems that Qurei and
calling to form a united Palestinian leadership. This is a
Shaul Mofaz. Other representatives met with Israeli
Abbas have emerged as consensus leaders. Qurei
demand of our people."
Justice Minister Yosef "Tommy" Lapid at his office in
rushed to Gaza over the weekend for talks with the
eastern Jerusalem. All this ended when Abbas resigned
various Palestinian factions and terrorist groups. The
last
fall and Qurei took over as prime minister.
sad truth from an Israeli point of view is that without
Public Overtures
In the absence of Arafat's blessing, Qurei dared make
the cooperation of Harnas, it's unlikely that any
Though everyone talks about unity, neither Qurei nor
no overtures to Israel. Talks may now resume, but these
Palestinian government can function with stability
Hamas has made any commitments. For the time
two men still do not enjoy wide support in the territo-
Under the present state of affairs, stability means
being, Harnas is not integrated into the Palestinian
ries. [1.1
implementing the following formula: Give Hamas
Authority, and continues plotting terrorist attacks.
piece of the government cake in exchange for a corn-
"The resistance continues and will stop only if the
Symbol Of Hate
Israelis reflect and look ahead about life without Arafat.
DINA KRAFT
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
-
Tel Aviv
M
ordi Peretz arranges rows of meatballs
and slices of lasagna behind the counter
of his Tel Aviv deli as he pulls together
his thoughts on the demise of Yasser. Arafat.
Like most Israelis, Peretz will not miss the griz-
zle-faced Palestinian Authority president: He
blames Arafat for throwing away peace with both
hands, for leading the Palestinians towards terror-
ism and further away from statehood.
And like his fellow countrymen, Peretz sees in
Arafat's death the hope for a political breakthrough.
and a chance for peace.
Still, the 44-year-old reflects out loud on the
long road Israel has walked with Arafat — from
pariah to possible peace partner and back to pariah.
So when he saw the 75-year-old Arafat, now frail
and ill, wave goodbye as he boarded a helicopter
last week before he left Ramallah for medical treat-
ment in Paris, he felt the pang of mixed emotions.
"He was everything negative and achieved none
of things he could have," said Peretz. "But when I
saw him waving goodbye, I felt a certain sympathy.
And I felt badly for the Palestinians.
"Israelis, although they despise him, will still feel
the loss of his image as• the symbol of the
Palestinian people."
Customers come into the deli that Peretz runs
with his brother Ran asking for the latest news on
Arafat. "We cannot believe that after all this time
he is finally going," Ran Peretz said. "This Is the
End" read the banner headline in last weekend's
edition of Israel's largest daily newspaper, Yediot
Achronot, next to a large photograph of Arafat.
But as Arafat reportedly continues to slip in and
out of a coma in a French military hospital outside
of Paris, Israelis and Palestinians both are living in
a state of limbo. For so many years, Arafat — grin-
ning under his trademark kaffiyeh while overseeing
the struggle against Israel — was the opponent
Israelis loved to hate.
A post-Arafat landscape appears to be a blurry
one, with hopes for renewed peace efforts but fears
Suha and Yasser Ariz fat on Oct. 29.
of the specter of Palestinian infighting. "It could
change things for better or for the worse. I don't
know, but I am hoping for the best," said 22-year-
old Tali Asolin a clerk at a sportswear store in Tel
Aviv.
Mordechai Kedar served for 25 years in the mili-
tary intelligence branch of the Israeli army and now
teaches at Bar-Ilan University. He spoke of the
mixed feelings Israelis are experiencing.
Borrowing from the old joke of the mixed emo-
tions of a man watching his mother-in-law plunge
off a cliff while driving his fancy car, Kedar said
that it's like "we are watching Arafat riding our
Mercedes over a cliff."
SYMBOL OF HATE on page 35
;TN
11/12
2004
31