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Telegraph UK
Why on earth did they exhume Yasser Arafat?
By Jake Wallis SimonsWorldLast updated: November 27th, 2012
At first glance, the exhumation of the remains of Yasser Arafat, the former Palestinian leader, seems a bit bizarre. Conspiracy theories about his demise swirl on Twitter, particularly those that ascribe his death to Israeli poison or HIV, but neither of these seem to have much in the way of serious traction. Meanwhile, a tentative ceasefire is holding in Gaza, and a vote on enhancing the status of Palestine is coming up on Thursday; it seems that there would be more important things to think about than submitting an eight-year-old corpse to the autopsy that Arafat's widow would not allow at the time.
On a deeper level, however, this points to the lack of confidence that Palestinians of the West Bank have in their current leadership. Many believe that Mahmoud Abbas' rejection of violence, acceptance of the 1967 borders, and even in a recent interview with Israeli television his suggestion that he is willing to abandon his desire to return permanently to his birthplace of Safed, in northern Israel, has left him emasculated. This has been highlighted by what is seen as the success of Hamas' recent operations in attracting the attention of Israel and forcing it to the negotiating table.
Perhaps the contrast between Abbas' impotency and Hamas' dynamism is best illustrated by the kidnap of Gilad Schalit. Abbas frequently issues demands for prisoners to be released, and these have consistently fallen on deaf ears. Hamas kidnaps a soldier, and is rewarded with the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinians on the West Bank may be uncomfortable with the hardline religious stance of Hamas, but the Islamist group's ability to get results through violence makes the more circumspect leadership of Abbas appear almost absurd. If his upcoming bid for enhanced status at the UN falls flat, he will be left with almost no currency whatsoever with his people.
Giving this backdrop, the exhumation of Arafat makes more sense. When Arafat was alive, there was no split between Hamas and Fatah; he was an undisputed hero to the vast majority of Palestinians, and commanded an immense, unifying authority. He spoke to the UN wearing a holster, and made his famous statement that "I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand." Mahmoud Abbas pales in comparison. This renewed attempt to establish the cause of Arafat's death indicates a nostalgia for strong Palestinian leadership more than anything else.
Why on earth did they exhume Yasser Arafat?
By Jake Wallis SimonsWorldLast updated: November 27th, 2012
At first glance, the exhumation of the remains of Yasser Arafat, the former Palestinian leader, seems a bit bizarre. Conspiracy theories about his demise swirl on Twitter, particularly those that ascribe his death to Israeli poison or HIV, but neither of these seem to have much in the way of serious traction. Meanwhile, a tentative ceasefire is holding in Gaza, and a vote on enhancing the status of Palestine is coming up on Thursday; it seems that there would be more important things to think about than submitting an eight-year-old corpse to the autopsy that Arafat's widow would not allow at the time.
On a deeper level, however, this points to the lack of confidence that Palestinians of the West Bank have in their current leadership. Many believe that Mahmoud Abbas' rejection of violence, acceptance of the 1967 borders, and even in a recent interview with Israeli television his suggestion that he is willing to abandon his desire to return permanently to his birthplace of Safed, in northern Israel, has left him emasculated. This has been highlighted by what is seen as the success of Hamas' recent operations in attracting the attention of Israel and forcing it to the negotiating table.
Perhaps the contrast between Abbas' impotency and Hamas' dynamism is best illustrated by the kidnap of Gilad Schalit. Abbas frequently issues demands for prisoners to be released, and these have consistently fallen on deaf ears. Hamas kidnaps a soldier, and is rewarded with the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Palestinians on the West Bank may be uncomfortable with the hardline religious stance of Hamas, but the Islamist group's ability to get results through violence makes the more circumspect leadership of Abbas appear almost absurd. If his upcoming bid for enhanced status at the UN falls flat, he will be left with almost no currency whatsoever with his people.
Giving this backdrop, the exhumation of Arafat makes more sense. When Arafat was alive, there was no split between Hamas and Fatah; he was an undisputed hero to the vast majority of Palestinians, and commanded an immense, unifying authority. He spoke to the UN wearing a holster, and made his famous statement that "I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand." Mahmoud Abbas pales in comparison. This renewed attempt to establish the cause of Arafat's death indicates a nostalgia for strong Palestinian leadership more than anything else.
