Kesher Talk

Ding dong. Lots of news reports that Arafat is dead or close to it. Okay, Palestinians, your future belongs to you. No more patronage and intimidation from Arafat & Co., because his underlings will be fighting too much to keep the machine going. No more suicide bomber payoffs from Saddam, and less chance of them from other Arab regimes either. No work in Israel for the foreseeable future. Less welfare from the UN and EU, since a lot of it was funneled through Arafat and his bank accounts aren't accessible now.

So, conditions are more adverse in some ways, but in other ways, it's an open road. If you're not sure how to proceed, ask the Kurds. They built a civil society under adverse conditions, and I'm sure they'd be happy to send you some advisors.

More from Clifford May.

UPDATE: Inoculate yourself against whitewashed eulogies for Arafat with some highlights of his career.

UPDATE: French Jews have mixed feelings about Arafat receiving medical care in France.

Remember how Arafat sabotaged the talks with Barak and Clinton by backing out at the last minute of conditions he had previously agreed to? Turns out that wasn't the first time. But everyone went along with the illusion of Arafat the Terrorist Turned Statesman anyway.

posted by Judith @ 11/04/2004 03:34:28 PM