Is Arafat Next?

It is clear that from the Zionist regime’s point of view Arafat is politically finished. He has not been able to leave his headquarters in Ramallah since Israeli troops laid siege to it in 2001.

Meanwhile, according to its new strategy to assassinate Palestinian leaders, the Zionist regime is trying to gradually transfer power from the first generation of Palestinian leaders to the third one, which is more inclined to establish friendly ties with the Zionist regime.

Since the assassination of the 76-year–old Arafat would have massive repercussions, the Zionist regime is trying to make fundamental changes in the current structure of the Palestinian Authority (PA) before it evacuates its troops from the Gaza Strip and hands over rule of the region to the Palestinians. But Arafat has been aware of the plot for many years and has kept a tight grip on the reins of power in Palestine, never allowing any political figure to become popular enough to be seen as a possible successor.

Moreover, Arafat’s suppression of Palestinian Islamic resistance groups over the past few years, which is, incidentally, approved by the United States and the Zionist regime, has further isolated him in the PA. By doing so, he was trying to get closer to the U.S. and the Zionist regime, but eventually discovered that his domestic power base was shrinking.

However, after the Zionists’ massive assaults on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the closure of his headquarters in Ramallah, Arafat decided to turn to domestic forces, including Islamic resistance groups.

The U.S. and the Zionist regime then began implementing a plan to isolate Arafat and support compliant elements inside the Palestinian government.

In fact, the Palestinian Authority's former security minister, Muhammed Dahlan, was the favorite choice of the U.S. and the Zionist regime, which believe he is one of the few people who could unseat Arafat. During his tenure as PA security service chief, Dahlan tried to suppress the Palestinian resistance groups while the Zionist regime, the U.S., and the Western media referred to him as the next leader of the Palestinian nation.

Despite Arafat’s opposition, Dahlan was appointed Palestinian national security minister in the 124-day cabinet of Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and established vast relations with military and security officials of the Zionist regime.

Following the collapse of Abu Mazen’s government, Dahlan went to London, where he was given intensive political training in order to prepare him to seize power. Since then, he has been covertly and overtly preparing himself to depose Arafat and become the leader of the PA. He enjoys vast international support for his objective.

Dahlan believes that the establishment of a secular government supervised by Israel in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 could help resolve the Palestinian issue.

Apparently, through its plan to methodically liquidate prominent Palestinian leaders, particularly Yasser Arafat, and replace them with younger and more compliant people, the Zionist regime is trying to transfer power in the PA from the first generation to the third generation in order to put an end to the Palestinian issue by 2005.

RA/HG

End

MNA