Palestinians, Israelis apprehensive, fearful
Thomas Geyer
With Palestinian President Yasser Arafat gravely ill in a French hospital and his power being distributed to his top aides, Quad-City area Palestinians and Israelis discussed their hopes and fears for the future in a world without the man who was alternately idolized and vilified.
"He's a terrorist, and this world is a much better place without him," said Hagit Biton, of Haifa, Israel, who is in the area volunteering with the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities.
Paraphrasing an old saying that it is best to dance with the devil you know, Biton said there is deep concern among Israelis because "we don't know what type of leader they might get next.
"What I'm hoping and praying for is that someone in the Palestinian Authority will take responsibility and lead the Palestinians to peace," she said.
Allan Ross, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Quad-Cities, said given the fact there is no clear line of succession in the Palestinian Authority, there is some fear different militant factions in the region will begin vying for dominance and not only fight one another, but initiate a more vigorous campaign of terror against Israel to gain popular support.
"He (Arafat) intentionally ensured no one would be in line so he could maintain dominance over the organization," Ross said. "If I had to guess, there will be a severe struggle within the organization to see who comes out on top."
He added there are factions in Gaza and the West Bank with their own power base, "and it is really unknown who is the stronger, who has the broader following and who has the most weapons, and that's just within the Palestinian Authority.
"Outside of the Palestinian Authority, there are Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are both rivals and are supported by Iran and Syria," he said, adding that weapons and money are channeled to the groups through Syria and Lebanon.
"And then there is Hezbollah, which has influence in the West Bank and has been funding terror through Iran," he said. "And then there is the Al Aqsa Brigade, which was formed as part of the Palestinian Authority by Arafat to rival Hamas and Islamic Jihad in terrorism."
The hope, he added, is that the Palestinians put someone in power who is willing to compromise.
Palestinian native Jamal Tayh of Davenport, a chemistry professor at Scott Community College, also said he does not believe an internecine struggle for power is inevitable.
"I don't think that will happen unless the Israelis intervene and fuel such a war," he said.
But Tayh said he was not a fan of Arafat.
"Arafat was the symbol for the Palestinian struggle, so, emotionally, the people liked him," he said. "But most people disagreed with his policies. His policies regarding the West Bank and Gaza were terrible.
"He was a dictator," Tayh added. "The Israelis did not trust him. And Arafat did not want to share power, which is why the authority went through several prime ministers. So this transition will lead to some improvement. There will be more freedom in the government. And the groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad are under control. They will work within the democratic framework."
John Dabeet of Muscatine, Iowa, a native of Palestine who is an economics professor at Muscatine Community College, said he strongly believes the transition of power will be a smooth one and that there will be no violence.
"A lot of people, and especially Israel and other groups, have been betting on a Palestinian civil war," he said. "So far, we are seeing Palestinians conduct business as usual as civilized, well-educated people. And they will choose their new leader in a democratic way and whoever wins, wins."
Arafat personified the spirit of the Palestinians' struggle for justice, he added.
"He served the Palestinian cause and will continue to live in every Palestinian heart," he added.
But no matter who the Palestinian leader is, Dabeet said the same three goals remain.
"Justice has to be first, and justice means Israel has to withdraw completely from the lands they have occupied since 1967. That's where Palestinians want to establish their homeland. Refugees have to have the right of return so they can return to the homeland they were forced to leave. And East Jerusalem must be our capital," he said.
Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.