Exactly before three years and at a time like this time, the Palestinians were wondering and asking about the faith of their leader and president Yasser Arafat. Although the Palestinian people were divided into several political movements, but at the time they realized they are about to lose a real signal of their patriotic case, they all united and kept on waiting silently for the event that changed the whole political Palestinian map…Abu Amar is dead, and since then everything changed. We may be wondering about what are the real reasons that changed the situation since then, and if we study this leader’s character we may find some answers to this question. Arafat was known as a smart leader that knew how to react and act with each difficulty or case he faced. He is well known as a political and a resistant man. He was the first man that brought to the Palestinian people the choice of peace and made them believe in it. Arafat truly believed in achieving peace with Israel starting from Oslo until Camp David, but the change that happened in the Israeli leadership and also the facts that were brought to him in Camp David made it difficult for him to take decisions. From the other side, this leader had a personal relationship with so many Palestinians, he used to call them by their first names and even remember the names of their families. Arafat was known for his generosity when he was asked to help his people in their daily life expenses, and this made his people respect him and gave him the most important element in leading people and being their president; he had the national support he needed. He didn’t live in a palace and almost wore the same suit everyday. Actually the real reason that made him succeed in leading the Palestinian people and have the ability to make agreements and do what he commits to do, was the respect he had from his people. The reason that all the Palestinians respected him for was because he represented the Palestinian revolution that began to remind the world that there is a people called Palestinians and have the right to live in a part of Palestine with honor. At these days the Palestinians really suffer because they lack a leader like Yasser Arafat that can make decisions and make peace while on the other side he is strong enough to assure the security of his people and also fulfill the promises he gives to other side of the conflict. Some Israeli leaders considered him as a terrorist, but they didn’t know that at the same time they were missing a real chance for making peace with a leader that is ready to make this peace but not only according to the Israeli measurements but also the Palestinian that are demanding the minimum. And since we lost him and also the Israelis lost their leaders who believed in the Peace of the brave, we are still suffering until now.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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