Yasser Arafat's Passing and the Future of Palestine

By Edina Lekovic

Yasser Arafat, the revolutionary and statesman who championed the cause of the Palestinian people for over four decades, passed away this evening in a French military hospital. While his passing represents the loss of an international symbol of Palestinian independence and national identity, it also should draw attention to the dismal conditions which continue to erode daily life in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and the need for the immediate creation of a viable and sovereign Palestine.

The Qur’an teaches that once a person is deceased, he is in the hands of God, Who is the ultimate judge of his life and actions. As such, we must recognize that, regardless of his failure to create a functioning democratic government, Yasser Arafat internationalized the struggle of the Palestinian people. Without his leadership, the worldwide consensus that the Palestinians deserve nationhood may never have been achieved.

Arafat's role in negotiating peace with Israel resulted in the Oslo Accords (side note, the U.S. was sponsoring the Madrid process, and was caught by surprise along with everyone else by Oslo) in 1993, and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with the late Yitzhak Rabin, then Prime Minister of Israel. Challenges posed by the Israeli government over the decades overshadowed Arafat's leadership. The Bush administration has boycotted Arafat, with Bush accusing the veteran leader last year of failing the Palestinian people. Israel under Sharon also shunned Arafat, branding him an absolute obstacle to peace and confining him to his West Bank headquarters for more than two years.

Such conflict is evident even in the issue of where Arafat will be buried. Israeli government officials have been characterized as "ruling out" the possibility that Arafat could be buried in Jerusalem, according to his wishes. "Jerusalem is the city where Jewish kings are buried and not Arab terrorists," Israeli Justice Minister Yosef Lapid told CNN as Arafat lay sick. Allowing political grudges to supersede a dying man's wish is a negative indicator of the Sharon administration's post-Arafat plans.

Commonly blamed for the second Intifada, Arafat's ability to lead was in fact debilitated by Israeli policies that are responsible for continued occupation, the erection of the security fence, the siege of Gaza, and state-sponsored assassinations. Such loathsome realities have nothing to do with Arafat's leadership style.

The Bush administration can no longer rely on the excuse that Arafat is impeding the peace process. It must now sincerely engage with the Palestinians in order to ensure a just solution to the ongoing conflict, one which ensures the security and national identity of both Palestinians and Israelis and upholds the principle of self-determination and statehood for Palestinians.

The next, and extremely critical step for all parties, is the free election of new Palestinian leadership. The United States must fully use its leverage to ensure that Israel does not hinder the electoral process. The Palestinian people truly want to choose their leadership, and this will require Israel to refrain from violence, and to ease travel and politicking in the run-up to elections. A democratic Palestinian leadership will have the credibility to enter negotiations to end this conflict. If President Bush’s goal is to promote freedom in the Middle East; he can start with democracy and freedom in Palestine.

Ending occupation and stemming terrorism go hand in hand. It's time for a fresh start for the Palestinians, and for the U.S. A just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will do more to end terrorism than any other foreign policy initiative of our government. The Bush administration cannot let this opportunity pass.

Edina Lekovic is Communicatitons Director for the Muslim Public Affairs Council.