TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna comments on the return of Yasser Arafat. A summary of his column is as follows:
Yasser Arafat, one of the world’s most senior politicians and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was rescued from his enemy’s five-month siege and returned to active politics in a stronger and most probably more permanent way…
However, his enemy Ariel Sharon had wanted to expel him from politics altogether. It was a wish deriving from the fact that Sharon is a fanatic. It was not in line with Israel’s actual interests. However, fanaticism is such a poisonous feeling that it only harms the ideal which it thinks it is serving and exalting. Even if only belatedly, perhaps Sharon has seen that an even more radical Palestinian would replace Arafat. Considering the issue from the Arab side, some are questioning whether or not Arafat’s return will actually help the Palestinians. There are many Arabs who don’t care for Arafat’s personality or policies.
Now Sharon wants guarantees for the lands that the Israelis occupied, which he calls ‘settlement regions,’ which if implemented will make it impossible for the Palestinian state to survive. What’s more, it will cost billions of dollars to Americans.
The things Israel gained from Sharon can be discussed because no government approves of his action. Israel is certainly doing harm to the United America, which half-heartedly advocates it by considering its actions ‘self-defense,’ and also to Washington’s foreign policy and thus to ‘Pax America.’ This unbelievable manner of Sharon is a show of disrespect against the religions of Islam and Christianity. In any case he started the war by attacking the al Aqsa Mosque. Then he attacked the church where Jesus was born and even now he boldly continues his occupations. But truthfully, a serious reaction has been seen neither from Christians, nor from Muslims and the Arab world, of which the Palestinians are part. They have not gone beyond pro forma protests.”

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION