The late Yasser Arafat (left) with current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: AJN file

AHRON SHAPIRO

IN Ramallah earlier this month, thousands of Palestinians rallied at the tomb of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in observance of the fifth anniversary of his death.

Amid the backdrop of the political troubles of his successor -– Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas -– the nationalistic spectacle raised the issue of leadership: Where are the Palestinian people today? Where are they going, and are they better off now than they were under Arafat, a figure who personified Palestinian national aspirations for nearly four decades?

Focusing solely on his post-Oslo era of leadership over the PA, Arafat was not a very good public servant by any measure. He was corrupt. He incited his people. He was a master at speaking out of both sides of his mouth – talking the language of peace to English audiences, while calling for jihad in Arabic.

He was accused of doing little to improve the lives of ordinary Palestinians, while he lived in palatial luxury on siphoned funds. He could be brutal with his internal adversaries, and kept a firm rein on power through a policy of intimidation and fear.
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