Saadi Altumaizi
11 November 2008
guest column
A day does not pass for someone who loves the Palestinian cause without mentioning Yasser Arafat.
Today Tuesday November 11 marks a special day in memory of Arafat as the Palestinian people and those who love him around the world will commemorate the fourth anniversary of the passing on of our eternal leader, also known as Abu Ammar, who died four years ago in a French hospital, succumbing to a disease that the doctors failed to cure. Up to this day the secret of the disease or its real causes has not been unveiled.
Arafat's name had been linked with the Palestinian cause - it is also true that the Palestinian cause was also connected with Arafat 's name since the early 60's, when the Fatah movement was established under Arafat 's leadership to dedicate the return of Palestine to the political map of the Middle East and to the international arena as well, after it was all but forgotten by the international community and the regional players - this might be regarded as one of the most significant achievements of the late President.
Arafat was talented with the ability of grasping the details of the regional and international equations and the unmatched skills to deal with them, and as such, he was always in the center of the decision-makers in the Middle East even in the most critical times.
He managed to endure grave setbacks, whether in the aftermath of leaving Amman and then Beirut. He imposed his image, his personality and his people's cause on all global parties.
The deceased leader was also gifted with the superb skill of dealing with the internal Palestinian situation with all its complexities and its Arab and international implications. He was the common denominator all through the internal Palestinian crisis. We have just realized the importance of these leadership gifts and our need to such skills and to this leader, especially four years after he passed away.
The greatest days of Arafat and the most brilliant are the years of his besiege in the Mokata'ah in the city of Ramallah, after the failure of the Camp David conference then hosted by the former American President Bill Clinton, and co-attended by the then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
During the conference and the subsequent era of the second Palestinian Intifada Arafat bitterly fought to death, defending his principles, his ideals and his people's rights, and paid the dear price, namely the besiege and blockade in his head office, after he refused to give the price in terms of conceding the Palestinian national rights, until he died as a martyr - his head proudly high despite the besiege , giving the honorable example and pattern to his people and drawing national red lines that should never be crossed or overlapped.
On this anniversary all Palestinians stand to pay tribute and reverence to the memory of Abu Ammar, their eternal leader. Huge and spontaneous rallies and processions to commemorate the anniversary were scheduled to be launched in the West Bank and Gaza.
In order to achieve the dreams of the late Yasser Arafat, the Palestinians are required to work together to promote national unity, put an end to their differences and focus their efforts to end the Israeli occupation of its territories as well as establish their own independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.
At the same time the international community is requested to double its efforts at helping all the concerned parties involved in the current conflict in the Middle East to reach a comprehensive settlement based on the formula of enabling the Palestinian people have their independent and sovereign state as well as live equal footing with other states in the region. This is a vital factor for building a comprehensive and lasting peace for the people of the Middle East and the world at large.
Saadi Altumaizi is the Palestinian Ambassador to Ghana
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