That’s the description used by my friend James to describe Yasser Arafat, regarding the annoucement of his death. His passing certainly marks the end of an era — he was one of the most famous…and infamous…men of the second half of the 20th century, and to sum up his impact, his politics, and his influence isn’t possible in the space of one short insignificant blog.
Two things can be asserted with certainty:
(1) Yasser Arafat was the only leader the Palestinian people ever had. He worked tirelessly on their behalf — he was their champion, their voice, their embodiment in a world that didn’t spare a single thought for their situation. Without Arafat, there is no doubt the Palestinian people would be a forgotten, assimilated culture.
(2) Yasser Arafat was a terrorist and a criminial, responsible for sanctioning — and even leading — a host of despicable acts of cowardice and bloodshed. There was no need for the hijackings and murders that took place on his watch…and with all due respect, he and Nelson Mandela are NOT comparable. Just ask the family members of the 1972 Israeli Olympic team what they think of Arafat, who’s PLO was responsible for the killing of their athletes in Munich.
Yes, he was a complicated man. His acts of peace and friendship counterpointed by his crimes and his brutality. History is going to have a hard time trying to pin him down, but one thing is certain: he started something that shows no sign of ending any time soon…
