Signs of Arafat's downfall increasing, says expert

The long and often bloody reign of Yasser Arafat as head of the PLO and chairman for the past eight years of the Palestinian Authority might soon be coming to an end, according to Dr. Hillel Frisch, a senior researcher at Bar Ilan University's Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. He cited the recent hunger demonstrations by thousands of workers in Gaza, Wednesday's clashes between Hamas supporters and PA security forces in Rafah, and US-led international pressure for wide-ranging reforms of the PA structure and a change in its leadership as indications of Arafat's coming demise. While Arafat is faced with increasing internal pressure from his own disgruntled people, international pressure has forced Arafat to reshape his security infrastructure to placate the Americans while still maintaining his overall control. "In unstable political situations, rulers in the Arab world have a tendency to form the smallest and most cohesive group to handle the crisis," said Frisch. Frisch's comments coincided with a statement yesterday by former Jenin district governor Zuhair al-Manasreh, who resigned a month ago, saying he had been personally instructed by Arafat to take over as head of the West Bank Preventive Security Service from Jibril Rajoub.