No, Chinu, if Arafat were merely a senile figurehead, then Abu Mazen could have sidelined him.
According to what I've read, Abu Mazen really considers the intifada a disaster and wants to stop it - at least he's convinced a number of Israelis of this, Israelis whom I regard as skeptical types. But Abu Mazen was outmaneuvered; Arafat kept the money, 60% of the police, and his ability to out-manipulate his rivals. So Abu Mazen is out, even though he was careful to keep pledging his loyalty to Arafat all the way through. Abu Ala has made no pretence of being anything other than Arafat's man.
Think of Arafat as a powerful CEO, getting on in years, who is making many bad decisions, but can't be thrown out because he's got the Board of Directors in his pocket, through favors, bribes, loyalty, or outright blackmail. He has also personalized the company brand to such an extent that the board and all the employees fear the company will go bankrupt as soon as the CEO dies (he will never retire). |
