Arafat's Choices

I've tried to avoid surfing for Arafat coverage today so I could get through some dissertation work, but strongly recommend this post by Jonathan Edelstein. One story I've heard is that at Camp David, Arafat refused Barak's peace deal saying if he signed it he would be dead in six months. That quote may be apocryphal, but the story illustrates the core of his character as a national leader who placed himself above all others.

And what did Arafat win for himself at those potentially historic peace talks? Four extra years of life, most of which were spent confined to a single building. The price was hundreds of dead Palestinians and Israelis, and death-day commentary like this. There's a moral in there somewhere.