Oh, and some of the more bizzare Internet Rumors here in Israel (and possibly elsewhere) are saying that the reason there have been no bulletins issued about what it is, exactly, that Arafat is dying of is that he is, in fact, dying of AIDS… :rolleyes:
While (to my limited and completely unprofessional knowledge) this “diagnosis” could fit the described symptoms, I doubt that this is actually the case. I think this says a lot about the group psychology at work here, though…
Dani
There is speculation here that the next generation will have much weaker emotional and traditional bonds to long-term refugees such that, say, a near-Green Line state with NO (or limited) right of return is far more realistic with Arafat out of the way.
This would, of course, still leave the problem of the large, deep settlement blocks in the West Bank such as Ariel, but is perhaps a much more promising and feasible basis for negotiation - your thoughts? And am I to assume that granting all West Bank residents the vote in Israeli elections is out of the question?
Apparently they won’t declare him dead because they don’t know how to get hold of the $2-3 billion he has stashed away in Swiss bank accounts, which he siphoned from relief funds or stole from the Palestinian people and which he even deathly sick going on the plane to Paris wouldn’t divulge how to free.
Ahh… it’s things like this, that makes me all warm and gooey inside to think that Denmark is a large donor to the Palestinians (or rather the Arafat Swiss bank account relief funds).
Sevastopol, in a spirit of geunine curiosity, I want to know how you can say that Yasser Arafat did not sponsor terrorism. I was always under the impression that he was a major terrorist.
If this is a semantic argument about “terrorism” versus “freedom fighter,” I’d rather not get engaged in a debate. But agreeing that blowing up buses full of civilians, or dance clubs packed with teenagers, constitutes terrorism, what is your rationale for saying Arafat did not have a hand in it?
Arafat did not sponsor any more terrorism than the US or Israel.
How reliable are these reports of Arafat having $2 billion in Swiss accounts?
CNN just reported that Mahmoud Abbas is now “running” the Palestinian Authority, although Ahmed Qurei is still prime minister. No mention of who’s running the PLO.
I am happy to discuss this, particularly if you would care to elaborate. The proposition seems to me unexceptional so I am curious as to your outrage.
Brutus where have you left your hard-as-nails, America-first, screw-the-rest-of-the-world persona?
Although I agree you are more cute, going all soft bellied and fuzzy when an unimportant corner of the southern mediterranean gets a mention. Is this a chick thing?
Paul Fitzroy, in fact I may have been a little imprecise, posting in the after aura of ** BobLibDem’s** papal bull.
Well it seems the old bastard is not dead afterall. At least according to some reporters, that says he open his eyes Friday night.
The only source for this item is the Israeli website www.ynet.co.il (Hebrew only)which belongs to the Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Aharonot. here it is if you know Hebrew…
All references I can find in English speaking websites can be traced back to the YNet item. I saw it yesterday night - all they say is that “Palestinian officials claim that Arafat opened his eyes” (Italics - heck the whole translation - mine); not that this is fact. There has been no official pronouncement by the French medical team. Also, and perhaps significantly, the other Israeli daily newspaper, Maariv, has thus far not picked up on this news. I suspect they think Yedioth will end up with egg on their face…
Personally, I don’t think Arafat will survive any longer than it takes the leading officials and Suhaa to find and divvy up the all the money… (what, me? Cynical?)
Dani
Is there some religious reason that he would need to open his eyes late on a Friday, or would it be special if he did that? The Palestinians with him in Paris still do not seem to have realized that they’re around people who can easily determine the truth of their statements, and they seem to be saying quite a few things that are, well, not true. Also, the PLO’s representative in Paris, Leila Shahid, has a rather interesting name for someone who represents the PLO.
I haven’t heard anything yet about what might be done with his assets, the value of which is US$1 billion by the most conservative estimates. To some extent, this is money that was given to him to help the Palestinian people. I guess there’s some finite chance that some of it may actually be used to help them in some non-violent way.
There is one thing about this whole situation with Arafat that I can be somewhat relieved about – at least no one is accusing the French doctors of trying to kill him. And also that Israel allowed him to leave his compound for treatment, thus denying a last-minute martyrdom opportunity. So far, at least, nothing about his failing health has been blamed on either the US or Israel.
With respect to “God” as an abstract, philosophical proposition, your proposition is indeed unexceptional. But I am trying to kill the ancient and false meme that the God of Abraham, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible and Koran, is a just God. There may be a just God in the universe, but Yaweh/Allah is not he. Yawheh/Allah – if we just him based on the scriptures attributed to his inspiration – is an evil abomination, whether he exists or not. You cannot worship or obey him without polluting your soul. The Western world has been on the wrong spiritual path ever since the day Abraham heard his God order him to sacrifice his son and agreed to do it, instead of responding, “If you tell me to do that you can’t possibly be God. Fuck off.” It just got worse after that. The world would be better off if Abraham had never been born.
From your description, this footage dates back to his evacuation from Palestine.
FTR, the medical team (or more exactly the head of the french military medical services, IIRC) did make an official statement about his health. He said, that, respecting his family’s wishes of discretion, he could state that :
-his health had deteriorated
-he was transfered to another department of the hospital as a result (he was previously in the hematology department)
-he wasn’t dead
Which of course doesn’t mean much…
I am more sympathetic to this point of view than you may have thought. So if we were hoping for some hearty disputation, I’m sorry but I’ll have to disappoint.
Not that this is really adequate, but,
I strongly prefer, ‘that person’ or in a pinch, ‘s/he.’ Even ‘she’ suffices.
listening to cnn going through the multitude of reports, is like listening to a really bad monty python skit.
i’m figuring they want to have a few things settled before they pull the plug. once that is done arafat will be done.
until the past few days as his condition has become of interest i never really noticed how “kissy” he was. what is with all the kiss blowing??!!
According to this article part of the reason they are reluctant to declare him officially dead is because according to Muslim custom, he ought to be buried within 24 hours of dying, but they’re still busy arguing about where to bury him. His family wants him to be buried in Jerusalem, but Ariel Sharon sez, “Are you kidding? No way.” So it looks like probably “Egypt”.
[NEWS REPORT ON STATE OF PALESTINIAN LEADER’S HEALTH HAS NOW TURNED INTO CHILDREN’S STORY]
[CHILDREN’S STORY HAS TURNED BACK INTO NEWS REPORT]
[NO IT HASN’T]
I wonder if this poisoning story is going to catch on. According to debka.com (dubious, dubious, dubious cite), it was actively being spread by Hamas and Hizbullah.
He has thrombocytopenia. This is not a symptom of ricin poisoning, nor does it particularly look anything like it. There are many drugs that can cause thrombocytopenia, but I believe that a one-dose administration (as would be likely in poisoning) couldn’t cause such prolonged effects. Even if there were a prolonged dose (say for instance, poisoning his food), wouldn’t it have stopped when he went to France? Instead his condition worsened.