On the anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death, leave it to The Guardian to publish a paean by a former PLO representative now working in the UK academia:
What of the alternative myth of Arafat – the one that will eventually triumph in the history books? The one that will include just a fraction of the epic stories about him that most Palestinians grew up with? Arafat, for all his flaws and mistakes, stood for a just peace, based on a historic compromise. He believed in international law, in a two-state solution based on implementing UN resolution 242, and for a just settlement for refugees, the main victims of this conflict. His legitimacy came from more than the fact that he was democratically elected: he performed a historic purpose in the life of Palestinians, a purpose as yet unfulfilled. By representing his people’s general will and collective spirit, he symbolised the absent state’s sovereign institutions.
