Arafat: A Political Biography

Hart does an excellent job at describing the difficult task Arafat faced as the leader of the PLO. Through many interviews it seems Hart has brought both perspective views together and concluded that there is more to Arafat than the media has shown. He has described the many factions within the PLO which Arafat had risked his life to challenge. Hart shows the real Arafat, a moderate, not an extremist as he has been portrayed in the past.

From his earliest beginnings as a student leader in Cairo, to his current position as Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (P.L.O.), Yasser Arafat is unquestionably the heart and soul of Palestinian nationalism. Author Alan Hart paints an almost heart-rending portrait of Arafat, whom he describes as a selfless leader who has devoted his life to his people and his cause. Hart's central thesis is that Israel is well aware that the P.L.O. is willing, and has been for some time, to establish peace on the basis of UN Resolutions 242 and 338. Israel has rejected this initiative because it will require them to withdraw to the borders it occupied before 1967 and allow the establishment of a Palestinian mini-state. In Arafat's own words: ". . . when it (Zionism) is destroyed, . . . our two peoples (Jews and Palestinians) can live together in real peace. That is the day our dream of a Democratic State of Palestine will come true." Quite a statement from a man who once boasted that he would, "drive the Jews into the sea!" Has he changed? Hart says he has. Israel, understandably, is not so sure. Hart provides insight to the inner workings of both the P.L.O. and Arab regimes, who give lip-service to the Palestinian cause, but have sought to "play the Palestinian card" for their own, ignoble purposes. His analysis of their reasons for doing so provides interesting reading. He also says Arab regimes, the Mossad, and the CIA have used dissident P.L.O. factions to wreck Arafat inspired peace initiatives. The analysis is intriguing but not totally convincing. While reading I was struck by the similarity between Arafat and Israeli terrorist turned politician, Menachem Begin. Both are/were dedicated nationalists who stop/stopped at nothing to achieve their goal. Ironically, the goal is/was the same: establish a homeland for their displaced, disenfranchised peoples on the same real estate. Both have committed immoral acts in the name of a higher morality. Both have blood on their hands! Hart's work is obviously biased toward Arafat and the P.L.O. Readers should compare it with Begin's book, "The Revolt: Story of the Irgun," to learn how successful terrorists play first the terrorism and then the political card to achieve their ends. Is the P.L.O. sincere in its stated desire for peace? If so, can Arafat control dissident Palestinian elements that are currently conducting suicide attacks throughout Israel? We can only hope so. Only when this problem is solved will the people of the world feel safe boarding commercial airliners again and will Americans be able to resume feeding instead of bombing the Afghanistans of the world.

Arafat who derides the Isrealis(Zionists as he calls them) as monsters and who secretly wishes the nazis had finished the job is glorified in this book, an extension of Harts even more biased work "Arafat: Terrorist or peacemaker". Terrorist is the answer. Harts extensive interviews with those close to Arafat make for an incredible work. Yet Hart takes their statements as fact. he fully indulges the arab obsession with the idea that Jews control American politics and the American media. He fully indulges the antisemetic ideas that Zionism is racism. he fully approves of Arafats bloodthirstyness that led the butcher to walk into the U.N with a gun on his hip. Hart goes onto allow his lying interviewees to distort the truth sourounding 'Black September' showing how sopposedly Arafat had no role in the murder of Isreali Athletes. Nevertheless the book sheds light on Arafats extenive enemies amoungst the Arab states. His experience in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon where his terrorists were bashed into submission. But testamount to the one honorable characteristic of arafat he has never given up. Hart will always be a biased man, who never realized the terrorists in front of him were butchers of children and the heroes of the Isreali state that they wish dead are the true reightous people of the middle east.

Very informative book