Mideast Peace Process has a shot

Arafat is likely on his deathbed, especially given that the Palestinians commenting on his care are saying that he isn't.

If he buys it, there is a very real chance for peace in our day. He has been the greatest source of the day to day death and murder going on in Israel. He relegates his people to fetid refugee camps, despite their desires to move out and live peacefully, and just to show that he has no concern for peace in our day, he scrapped the insanely generous offer by Ehud Barak to essentially give up land with no concessions in return--essentially a Palestinian State for free--and stated that it wasn't what he wanted. What he really wants is to have Israel move a little westward into the Mediterranean Sea, ceding their existence to the Palestinians. So with him at the helm, there would never be a chance for peace.

His expiration would allow more liberal elements to fill the gigantic vacuum he leaves, and open up a serious dialogue.

Arafat has never been serious about cooperation, and just to show how much a faker he has been, I popped in a tape of Christmas shows that I recorded eons ago in 1986 for the kids. I was showing them the smurfs, etc., and during a news break, the anchor stated as his teaser that Arafat was renouncing terrorism forever. Eighteen years later, we are no closer to peace, and actually, a state of low intensity war exists between the Palestinians and Israel.

The title, "PLO" is appropriate. The Palestinians need to be liberated from Arafat. It's never in good taste to gleefully toast the death of another, but Arafat's loss is to the gain of the Palestinians and Israelis both.