Thursday, November 04, 2004
A Fitting Eulogy for Arafat
Arafat is now in a coma and according to some reports, he is unlikely to come out.
Actually "eulogy" which from the Greek means "good words" is a misnomer for this post. I thought it was important to post this early because after his death, we can be sure the foriegn press will lionize the terror master. After all at news of his illness, one BBC journalist burst into tears.
From Israpundit, an email from Barry Shaw
We are approaching a time when the world will eulogise Yasser Arafat.
After recent years of prolonged anti-Israel bashing, we are sure to hear and read pronouncements
comparing Arafat with revolutionary leaders such as Che Gevara and even Nelson Mandela.
Sadly, these images are as false as the life that he led.
Arafat usurped the Palestinian movement. He was, in fact, not Palestinian at all. He was born in Cairo, Egypt.
One influence was his family connection to Haj Amin al-Husseini. He was the man appointed by the British
in 1921 to be the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
Even as far back as the early 20's, when Palestine was ruled by the British, this prominent Arab and Muslim
leader was passionately anti-Semitic.
During the Second World War he lost no time in allying himself to Adolph Hitler and the Nazi cause.
This hatred of anything Jewish and Zionistic has been a burning torch in Arafat's philosophy and politics.
As recently as Camp David, he denied that Jews had any religious or historic heritage to Jerusalem.
Now is a fitting time to ponder the truth about this man.
One of the first truths, and ironies in a world against terror, is that Arafat proved that terror does pay.
Terror pays when you sky-jack planes, kill children in their schools and schoolbuses, murder Olympic
athletes, create the plague of suicide bombers, be the architect of modern terrorism, and have the world
applaud you, honor you at the United Nations, bestow the Nobel Peace prize on you, send their diplomats to
pay homage, flood you with billions, and support and promote your cause.
This would be enough to turn the head of any corrupt dictator. it certainly encouraged Arafat in his campaign
to eradicate the Jewish state, and incite and sponsor his people to kill Jews.
The second truth, and irony, is that Arafat proced you can fool some of the world's most intelligent and
influential people most of the time, especially if they have a vested interest in bending to your will.
It is natural that the Arab and Muslim world will support and champion Arafat and the Palestinian movement.
After all, the enemy is Jewish.
But Western business interests with the wealthy, oil-rich sheikhs encourages governments to favor the Palestinian
narrative, accept its falsehoods, deconstruct the ancient and modern history of the region, pass resolutions that
become biased laws, repeat the lies about Palestinian land and occupation so many times that it becomes folklore.
They not only pay lip service. They also deny the other side their historic, religious, legal, and moral rights.
The third truth, and irony, is that Arafat is despised throughout the Arab leadership.
His trek through Jordan and Lebanon brought treachery and instability to these countries.
He is scorned and distrusted in Egypt, Jordan, and even Syria. Any outward _expression of sympathy is for the
Palestinians people, certainly not for Arafat.
Arab leaders know that the Palestinians were mistreated and badly served by the failed and corrupt leadership
of Arafat.
The Arab leadership secretly admit that Arafat has been a dangerous and major impediment to peace and a destabilising influence in the region.
The fourth truth, and painful irony, is that the Palestinians would have had their state years ago with a leader who
truly had their best interests, and nationship, at heart.
Arafat, sadly, was a little man carried away with great ambitions beyond his scope and abilities to deliver.
Not for him the trappings of ruler of a tiny rump state living alongside a powerful Jewish neighbour.
To Arafat that would have been a failure of his leadership.
"I have no desire to be the king in a sovereign cage", he once said.
Instead, he saw himself as a modern-day Saladin. Allying himself to the Muslim cause, he saw himself leading
his people to statehood 'from the River to the Sea'.
Had he achieved his ambitions, there is no doubt he would have turned his gaze towards Jordan. He attempted
to overthrow the Hashemite rule of King Hussein who had given him and his terror gangs a base of operations
in his kingdom.
Arafat saw that the Jordanian majority were not Hashemite, but Palestinian.
Once brought back into the region by Rabin and the Oslo Acord, Arafat chose the 'Israel first' option. He feared
an Arab backlash would result if he adopted a 'Jordan first' option, and he needed that strategic support to
conquer his Zionist enemy.
It was this burning philosophy and vision to eradicate the Jewish presence in the region, even in stages, that
caused him to reject genuine and generous peace offerings that would have led to the establishment of the small modern state of Palestine.
One of the saddest truths and ironies of Arafat's leadership is that he has left a Palestinian society built on
dangerous and rival criminal and terror gangs who will be determined to send Arafat's 'Old Guard' back to Tunis
as they jockey for power.
he has left a Palestinian society of children and young men educated and incited to hate and kill.
he has left them penniless and poor having corruptly diverted billions away from the development of a successful
nation.
The anticipated chaos and anarchy will not be israel's doing. This was the deliberate policy and method of Arafat's
power base. He created these rival gangs, dependant on his patronage and largesse, to prevent the threat of anyone challenging his leadership.
There is a truth and irony that United Nations and European Union diplomats, and much of the world media, have still not admitted that Arafat was, and has remained, the father of modern terrorism.
No amount of ceremony, honor, funding, has managed to turn this arch-terrorist into a statesman.
And even at the time of his death this painful truth will still be denied.
He is the founder of today's terror. He is the teacher and guru of people like Bin Laden. Instead of raising his people to construction and nation-building, he incited them to destruction and martyrdom.
If there were true justice in this world, instead of the honors and respect that have been bestowed on this man, Yasser Arafat should have been condemned for crimes against humanity.
That is the saddest truth and irony of all.
As a Christian I believe that one can repent and receive forgiveness for the worst of crimes. But I don't think it happpens too often once a human being has crossed a certain line. For Arafat I think a full awareness of what he has done would be unbearable.
His countless victims can take comfort in knowing he will soon receive his reward.
Update - During the President's press conference, a reporter informed him that Arafat had died. Other reports have surfaced denying that.
The President's first response was, "God bless his soul." This is the reaction of a mature Christian.
Actually "eulogy" which from the Greek means "good words" is a misnomer for this post. I thought it was important to post this early because after his death, we can be sure the foriegn press will lionize the terror master. After all at news of his illness, one BBC journalist burst into tears.
From Israpundit, an email from Barry Shaw
We are approaching a time when the world will eulogise Yasser Arafat.
After recent years of prolonged anti-Israel bashing, we are sure to hear and read pronouncements
comparing Arafat with revolutionary leaders such as Che Gevara and even Nelson Mandela.
Sadly, these images are as false as the life that he led.
Arafat usurped the Palestinian movement. He was, in fact, not Palestinian at all. He was born in Cairo, Egypt.
One influence was his family connection to Haj Amin al-Husseini. He was the man appointed by the British
in 1921 to be the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
Even as far back as the early 20's, when Palestine was ruled by the British, this prominent Arab and Muslim
leader was passionately anti-Semitic.
During the Second World War he lost no time in allying himself to Adolph Hitler and the Nazi cause.
This hatred of anything Jewish and Zionistic has been a burning torch in Arafat's philosophy and politics.
As recently as Camp David, he denied that Jews had any religious or historic heritage to Jerusalem.
Now is a fitting time to ponder the truth about this man.
One of the first truths, and ironies in a world against terror, is that Arafat proved that terror does pay.
Terror pays when you sky-jack planes, kill children in their schools and schoolbuses, murder Olympic
athletes, create the plague of suicide bombers, be the architect of modern terrorism, and have the world
applaud you, honor you at the United Nations, bestow the Nobel Peace prize on you, send their diplomats to
pay homage, flood you with billions, and support and promote your cause.
This would be enough to turn the head of any corrupt dictator. it certainly encouraged Arafat in his campaign
to eradicate the Jewish state, and incite and sponsor his people to kill Jews.
The second truth, and irony, is that Arafat proced you can fool some of the world's most intelligent and
influential people most of the time, especially if they have a vested interest in bending to your will.
It is natural that the Arab and Muslim world will support and champion Arafat and the Palestinian movement.
After all, the enemy is Jewish.
But Western business interests with the wealthy, oil-rich sheikhs encourages governments to favor the Palestinian
narrative, accept its falsehoods, deconstruct the ancient and modern history of the region, pass resolutions that
become biased laws, repeat the lies about Palestinian land and occupation so many times that it becomes folklore.
They not only pay lip service. They also deny the other side their historic, religious, legal, and moral rights.
The third truth, and irony, is that Arafat is despised throughout the Arab leadership.
His trek through Jordan and Lebanon brought treachery and instability to these countries.
He is scorned and distrusted in Egypt, Jordan, and even Syria. Any outward _expression of sympathy is for the
Palestinians people, certainly not for Arafat.
Arab leaders know that the Palestinians were mistreated and badly served by the failed and corrupt leadership
of Arafat.
The Arab leadership secretly admit that Arafat has been a dangerous and major impediment to peace and a destabilising influence in the region.
The fourth truth, and painful irony, is that the Palestinians would have had their state years ago with a leader who
truly had their best interests, and nationship, at heart.
Arafat, sadly, was a little man carried away with great ambitions beyond his scope and abilities to deliver.
Not for him the trappings of ruler of a tiny rump state living alongside a powerful Jewish neighbour.
To Arafat that would have been a failure of his leadership.
"I have no desire to be the king in a sovereign cage", he once said.
Instead, he saw himself as a modern-day Saladin. Allying himself to the Muslim cause, he saw himself leading
his people to statehood 'from the River to the Sea'.
Had he achieved his ambitions, there is no doubt he would have turned his gaze towards Jordan. He attempted
to overthrow the Hashemite rule of King Hussein who had given him and his terror gangs a base of operations
in his kingdom.
Arafat saw that the Jordanian majority were not Hashemite, but Palestinian.
Once brought back into the region by Rabin and the Oslo Acord, Arafat chose the 'Israel first' option. He feared
an Arab backlash would result if he adopted a 'Jordan first' option, and he needed that strategic support to
conquer his Zionist enemy.
It was this burning philosophy and vision to eradicate the Jewish presence in the region, even in stages, that
caused him to reject genuine and generous peace offerings that would have led to the establishment of the small modern state of Palestine.
One of the saddest truths and ironies of Arafat's leadership is that he has left a Palestinian society built on
dangerous and rival criminal and terror gangs who will be determined to send Arafat's 'Old Guard' back to Tunis
as they jockey for power.
he has left a Palestinian society of children and young men educated and incited to hate and kill.
he has left them penniless and poor having corruptly diverted billions away from the development of a successful
nation.
The anticipated chaos and anarchy will not be israel's doing. This was the deliberate policy and method of Arafat's
power base. He created these rival gangs, dependant on his patronage and largesse, to prevent the threat of anyone challenging his leadership.
There is a truth and irony that United Nations and European Union diplomats, and much of the world media, have still not admitted that Arafat was, and has remained, the father of modern terrorism.
No amount of ceremony, honor, funding, has managed to turn this arch-terrorist into a statesman.
And even at the time of his death this painful truth will still be denied.
He is the founder of today's terror. He is the teacher and guru of people like Bin Laden. Instead of raising his people to construction and nation-building, he incited them to destruction and martyrdom.
If there were true justice in this world, instead of the honors and respect that have been bestowed on this man, Yasser Arafat should have been condemned for crimes against humanity.
That is the saddest truth and irony of all.
As a Christian I believe that one can repent and receive forgiveness for the worst of crimes. But I don't think it happpens too often once a human being has crossed a certain line. For Arafat I think a full awareness of what he has done would be unbearable.
His countless victims can take comfort in knowing he will soon receive his reward.
Update - During the President's press conference, a reporter informed him that Arafat had died. Other reports have surfaced denying that.
The President's first response was, "God bless his soul." This is the reaction of a mature Christian.
papijoe 11:40 AM
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