SO YASSER ARAFAT IS HOLDING UP THE PEACE PARADE: I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED, MIND YOU, at this revelation.
Actually, I don’t see the point of negotiating with a man who has no intention of keeping his word and whose power derives from keeping the Palestinian pot boiling. Whether this is political stratagem or personal preference, I don’t know, but I do remember reading an article some time ago about Che Guevara and men of his revolutionary ilk, describing them as men who find the fires of revolution infinitely entrancing, but find the job of cleaning up the mess the next day a bit of a chore. I strongly suspect that Arafat likes being a revolutionary; it is so much more interesting to deal with the great issues of the Palestinian cause than it is to make sure the people in Gaza have jobs, picking up the trash in Jenin, or installing drainage systems to keep the sewers in Ramallah from running over. How utterly pedestrian governance must seem to Arafat when compared to the glories of revolution, and why should he submit himself to such a fate when he doesn’t have to?