Yasser Arafat dies...

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So, now that Yasser Arafat is dead after his run-in with that "unknown illness"...what do you think is going to happen in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict? I susspect another round of sucide-bombers very soon, but I don't know which side they will be comming from...probably both.

This has gone on for too long IMO, and I really hope that his death will finally bring things to a close.

 

Well, some struggle for power among the Palestinians is certainly to be expected, some of his wife's statements already have indicated that some groups have already been maneuvering for better positions. Bombings can come - and more than usually - at the next wave of Israeli intervention, but when it would come is another matter. Personally, I hope that Sharon would continue the removemal of the settlements in Palestinian territory - that would decrease tension a bit, although it would bring trouble to him when elections come.
However, until one Palestinian leader is firmly in place and recognized by the Palestinians, it's not likely that peace could come. That was Arafat's main advantage - he was accepted by the people.

 

Some nutter'll just take his place, probably. We can always hope for the best but I find that a pessimistic attitude is best when dealing with fundamentalist-type societies.

One of his close friends will probably take up his mantle and 'continue the good work'.

 

Good riddance. I hope someone better steps up, and I hope Sharon wont stay in power for long.

 

Happy eternal dirt nap Yasser! I almost wish I believed in hell, then I would get a little satisfaction in the belief that he is burning there now.

As far as this bringing resolution to the issue, it won't, because the issue doesn't really have anything to do with Palestine. It really boils down to mutual hatred, and the end will not come until one or both groups are destroyed.

We need someone to come up the a nuke smilie, you know, a little mushroom cloud! Be cool if it started as a dot and grew into the full size!

 

Well...as far as I can tell from ABC news, old Bushy is very interested in "helping" Palestine set up a true, free democracy again.

Why is it that America is so arrogant, they think they rule the world?

 

Tal,

You are going to get me fired! I am sitting here in my office LMAO at your reply!

 

What must it have been like for him to leave his people behind? Did he feel he would never again set foot on the land he fought for when entering that aeroplane?
I hope he will find his peace in death regardless. Yes. Rest in peace, Yasser Arafat.

 

I am right now heading for a ceremony honoring Yassir Arafat, so I guess you understand my opinion on him. However, I don't think he was flawless, no-one is.

 

Are you trying to imply that we DON'T rule the world?

Oh you're just jellous because Dell, an American company, gave your best friend a job as a customer service agent and didn't even look at your resume.

If you Indians don't like America, boycott Dell...maybe they'll move thier customer service back to America, so I can actually understand what they are saying when I call them.

 

Conveniently, he didn't name a successor. Nice work, now all your work will suffer while people squabble for succession... and fail to remember that it was your fault, Arafat.

Hopefully someone who WANTS peace will step into the role. Arafat and Sharon had too much to gain from continued strife.

@ Kitrax: I know this is your thread, but I find that last post pretty offensive, and...

 

@Kitrax: Dude...Indians WORSHIP America...its just me who hates it.

And the only reason I cannot boycott Dell is that they are the only guys with a laptop which has a 256 MB Radeon 9800 on offer...

Besides...its funny you should say that, a cousin of mine works in Dell in the Customer Service department, let me know if you ever speak to a "Sean".

 

I have been trying to refrain from saying this, but I will anyway:

Good riddance: It's a giant step forward towards Peace.

 

Woah, Chandos and I agree on this issue. Why is that pig flying outside my window?

 

Bah... with or without Arafat the fighting still continues, possibly even worse than before. Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the PLO will all present people who they think should rule the Palestinian people.

In case of the Palestinians, this means even more bloodshed, this time among eachother though, and it started with the gunfire around Abu Abbas. This time the Israeli's can sit back with a bag of popcorn and watch the Palestinians kill eachother.

 

Now that Arafat is dead the Israelis are in trouble - when things go bad they can't just go and blame him for everything from suicide bombs to sour milk.

It was cynical enough to see the Israelis demanding effective action against terrorists from the palestinian side - while merrily bombing, assassinating, disorganising and destroying the very palestinian security services that would be the only ones in place to do the job they wanted.

Maybe that Arafast only in death starts to help his people - by depriving his enemies in Israel of their convenient arch-enemy and forcing them to a more moderate course.
Israel can't be interested to undermine Arafat's probable follower in office, likely Abbas - because without a stable regime Palestinians will be even more uncontrollable, but then, it's Sharon we are talking about and he's a hog who only knows force.

Maybe this idea helps him: As the Israelis once supported islamist Hamas as a counterweight to Arafat's nationalist and secular Fatah, they could today support the Fatah to get rid of the islamists. But then they had to find a compromise with the Palestinans.
Hmm. Maybe we'd rather bomb anyway. It was God who gave that land to King David, right? Silly enough, once Israel arranges a deal with the Palestinians on water, land and settlements especially - they'll have to deal with their rightwing Jews who predictably and violently would oppose any such deal. If anyone in Israel could pull off such a stunt, then a Likudnik like Sharon because he is a rightwing nut as well and not a moderate like Rabin.

Now that would be a sight: Civil war in the occupied territories thanks to Fatah cracking down on islamist mad mullahs and civil war in Israel thanks to them cracking down on their rabid rabbis. Swell, let's better not intervene until they're done.

The French were damn right to draw the right conclusions from the Peace of Westphalia and the 30-Year war in Germany: Clear separation of church and state.
Better not open that can of worms and let faith guide your (foreign) policy. That usually means long and bloody conflict. But then, anyone try to explain that to Bush or Bin Laden - they wouldn't understand.