November 14, 2004

Arafat Death Forces Terrorists to Face Reality

The death of Yasser Arafat – father of terrorism – has unstrung celebrity dilettantes, self-conscious Europeans, Arab Jew-baiters and American denigrators.

France – given the honor of conducting his deathwatch – dispatched his remains with solemnity due a head of state.

The United Nations flew its flag at half-staff.

Arab nations – even those that were targets of Arafat’s ambition to usurp them – gathered in Cairo for a state funeral. All of which illustrates the power of fame for being famous.  

Arafat was born in Cairo, but as a youth spent time with relatives in Jerusalem and Gaza. He was graduated from Cairo University with a degree in engineering.

While in college, Arafat became engrossed in Palestinian affairs. He and four others founded Al Fatah – "The Conquest" – in 1959. When Egypt created the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Arafat’s Al Fatah hijacked it.  

Arafat’s ambition was to lead a Pan-Arabia state. Jordan kicked him out of there -- as did Lebanon and Tunis from their territories. He spent time in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria prisons.

Though the principal Arab nations disliked Arafat, they tolerated him because he preached destruction of Israel.  

The League of Nations after the First World War recognized the Zionist Movement. Displaced Jews were encouraged to emigrate to the Palestine Province of the defeated Ottoman Empire.

The emigration accelerated after World War II.  

The United Nations in 1947 partitioned Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. This can be said to be high handed, but Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 636 and destroyed the Jewish temple. War is war.  

Arafat financed much of the early terrorism arising from hatred of Israel and its best friend – The United States.

He was responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics and several airline hijackings. He had financial ties to Saddam Hussein.

 Arab and third-world countries were pleased with Arafat’s mayhem. When he was invited to address the U.N. General Assembly in November 1974, he wore a military uniform and a pistol on his hip.

His memorable message: "The difference between the revolutionary and the terrorist lies in the reason for which he fights!

This was an outrageous display of weaponry and inflammatory speech typical of racketeers. Yet it was acclaimed by third- world countries freeloading on the U.N. – and by airheads who chatter for major news organizations.  

Can you imagine the uproar if the president of the U.S. had pulled such a stunt?

Arafat entranced free-world citizens by his talk about "regaining" a Palestinian State. There never was such a state, but one can understand the Arabs’ yearning for one.

It is clear that Arafat and his personal terrorists -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- are only peripherally interested in that goal. Their goal has never wavered -- to "push Israel into the sea."

President Clinton brokered a notable meeting at Camp David in July 2000 between Arafat and Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Arafat was offered a state that included all of Gaza, 95 percent of the West Bank and full sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

However, Arafat rejected the offer and launched the murderous Intifada – "sudden waking up from sleep."

This employed the frightening but ineffective tactic of suicide bombers targeting innocent civilians. Israel retaliated with targeted aerial bombing

While these insane terrorisms dragged on, Arafat degenerated into a grotesque puppet of Hamas blowing kisses to crowds and stashing a fortune in French banks.

With his death there is an opportunity for both sides of the racial conflict to face reality.

The PLO has chosen Mahmoud Abbas – a moderate -- as its new chairman. Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says there is hope for peace if the PLO restrains its terrorists.

President Bush is being urged to revive his "road map to peace" in Israel that was rejected by Arafat-Hamas.

Key to the outcome is Egypt, the largest Arab nation and controller of the vital Suez Canal.

Egypt is propped up by U.S. aid but is overrun with anti-Israel terrorists. President Anwar Sadat recognized the Israel State and was assassinated.

Like it or not, Israel is here to stay. Arab countries know this and are ready to get along in order to get along.

Big question: Are terrorists ready to face reality?

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at linwms@lindseywilliams.org