Yasser Arafat is reported to be very ill; descriptions of his condition vary, but it seems possible that his condition is terminal.

It strikes me that Arafat's demise could only be a good thing. Not because his successor, or successors, couldn't possibly be worse; in some ways, they probably could. Rather, because Arafat's political persona--his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, his being feted by liberals on several continents, his status as Bill Clinton's most frequent house guest, his popularity in France, where his stylish wife resides--tends to mask the reality of his uninterrupted career as a terrorist, and to cast a certain confusion over the whole Arab-Israeli conflict.

Here is the Associated Press's take on Arafat's potential demise:

No leader of Arafat's stature and popularity is waiting in the wings, said Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi. ``It's only natural to expect that there would be either a power struggle or there would be a loss of cohesion,'' she said.

Analysts said it could take years for a leader to emerge, hurting prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. [Ed.: We can only hope so.] However, Israel and the United States hold out hope that a post-Arafat Middle East will be more conducive to peace because of what they say is Arafat's blind eye to terror and opposition to reform.

Polls show the second most popular Palestinian after Arafat is Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Fatah's young guard. But Barghouti is serving five consecutive life terms in an Israeli prison for involvement in deadly shooting attacks.

In most countries, the fact that a political leader is serving consecutive life terms for murder would be considered a disqualifying factor. Not, of course, among our friends the Palestinians, where mass murder is a badge of honor.

If nothing else, Arafat's passing from the scene will bring some clarity to a conflict where, on one side, being a mass murderer is considered a prime qualification for leadership.

UPDATE: Roger Simon, drawing an analogy to Stalin, thinks Arafat may already be dead.

Posted by John at 08:10 PM  |    |  

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/mt/mt-diespammers.cgi/8398

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Arafat Near Death?:

» Don't forget Arafat's "accomplishments" from The view from MY right
If Yassar Arafat really does have cancer as it has been reported, I'm pretty sure the media is going to be warming up the all-forgiving eulogy engine and signing his praises. Michelle Malkin reminds us not to forget what he has really stood for, ... [Read More]

Tracked on October 27, 2004 08:38 PM

» Arafat death watch from CenterFeud
Yasser Arafat is very ill and may not last the night. His death will without doubt trigger a power struggle within the Palestinian Authority. [Read More]

Tracked on October 27, 2004 09:56 PM

» Maybe I Can Get My Tablecloth Back Now from Conservative Revolution
Yasser Arafat is apparently close to dying. Thank God, eventhough it took him long enough to get around to it. Word on the street is that brotherman passed out for about 10 minutes earlier and that he is "Very, very, very sick". Tear. What would re... [Read More]

Tracked on October 27, 2004 10:51 PM

» Mainstream Media Gearing Up to Mourn Yasser Arafat from Blogs of War
Take a look at the AP’s “Key Events in Yasser Arafat’s Life” and you’ll come away convinced that he spent his life fighting terrorism not sponsoring it. They don’t even mention Black September! [Read More]

Tracked on October 27, 2004 11:01 PM

» Yassir Arafat Ill from rightpundit.com
Apparently Yassir Arafat is ill, perhaps seriously so. (Hat tip: Powerline) I never like to wish ill health on another human, but Arafat has shown few signs of actually being a human. I'll leave it at that. This brings up a very important point... [Read More]

Tracked on October 28, 2004 12:24 AM

» “Remember, John: Intifada! Intifada! Intifada!” from Watcher of Weasels
Is Arafish finally about to go belly up?  I sure hope so...  he is a terrorist scumbag, and the French diplomats who breathlessly preen over him aren't any better.  I thought it might be fun to come up with some... [Read More]

Tracked on October 28, 2004 09:46 PM

» Arafat's Mystery Ailment from Pirate's Cove
Seems like doctors do not really know what is really wrong with Palestinian terrorist leader Yasser Arafat. He is undergoing tests, which I hope are really painful, and include foul tasting medicines as a bonus indignity. Plus one of those [Read More]

Tracked on October 30, 2004 08:16 AM