Arafat Under Siege

Yasser Arafat, the 73-year-old Palestinian leader who has dedicated his whole life to the fight for Palestinians' freedom and independence, is now sharing the same fate as his people: a life under Israeli siege.

For his people, a 10-minute drive from Jerusalem to the West Bank town of Ramallah has been turned into a four-hour laborious journey through two Israeli checkpoints. For Arafat, a virtual house arrest limits his movement to his headquarters compound in Ramallah.

The Israeli move, designed to humiliate him and weaken his international standing, has actually strengthened Palestinian unity and the people's backing for the besieged leader.

Any Palestinian stopped on the streets would say Arafat is their respected leader and they would stand by him steadfastly.

Hiam Omari, a middle-aged mother of five who was battling her way on foot through the Khalandia checkpoint, said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "is very complicated" and she does not see any hope of getting out of the current quagmire in the near future.

"Though there are other better educated people, Arafat is our leader and we will follow him whatever he does."

Omari, who has an American passport and Israeli documents, said her way of defying Israeli closure and collective punishment of the Palestinian people is to stay in her homeland of Palestine and try to carry on life as usual.

It is the support of thousands of Palestinians like Omari that has undermined the Israeli attempt to isolate Arafat, who has been living under gunpoint, with Israeli tanks stationed merely 100 meters away from his offices.

When Xinhua correspondents Wednesday traveled through the dark streets of Ramallah, which seemed to be a deserted city in the night, and entered Arafat's compound, they were surprised to see the lightly guarded and plainly decorated building which looks like a guesthouse.

The waiting room was full of people, men and women who came to express support to their leader and who said on Wednesday that there would be a grand demonstration for the same purpose.

When Arafat appeared in the corridor on the second floor, flanked by aides, the soldier-like statesman wore a broad smile on his face and was walking a soldier's walk.

He was courteous and gentleman-like when he walked up to meet the journalists, shaking hands warmly and making an "after-you" gesture to let the guests first enter the room.

The room turned out to be his dinning room and it was his third meal of the day at 10:15 p.m. (2015 GMT). Besides a sidetable at the entrance, the long rectangular table in the middle of the room is the main and almost the only furniture in the room which can seat about 10 people.

Hung on a wall is a huge picture of the Old City of Jerusalem, the future capital of an independent country the Palestinians aspire.

Sitting beside Arafat were four Palestinian women from the Palestinian Union of Women who felt at home at the same table with their leader.

No doubt, Arafat has a good appetite. The food on the table was simple, but of a rich variety: vegetables, eggs, cheese, fruit, sweets and mineral water. He quickly ate the fresh cucumber slices and red sweet pepper.

While enjoying the food, he did not forget to show his hospitality and passed his fruit plate to his guests and asked them to share the apples and oranges. He also urged them to take a few eggs and more sweets, saying the sweets could give them more calcium and make them more healthy.

"Look how simple our president eats," said a woman at the table.

She was only to receive more gestures of care from the leader who passed to her a piece of bread dipped in the chocolate jam after he did the same to other ladies at the table.

Arafat recalled the important position of Palestine on the ancient Silk Road and the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Palestinian peoples.

The first prepared question about his health was obviously unnecessary during the interview. Then Arafat said he was not concerned about his personal safety at the time of crisis but only that of his people. "The most important thing is what our people are facing, not me," he said.

He listed the harsh Israeli measures against his people and their sufferings under the Israeli attacks and closures, and asked how he felt when he learned about a woman giving birth on Tuesday at an Israeli checkpoint in the Gaza Strip, he said: "I'm living with it."

He said he is committed to all the agreements he has signed with the Israelis and is ready to conduct peace talks. But he was not sure whether Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon really wants peace.

Arafat said he needs international support and calls for international intervention in the conflict.

Marwan Barghouti, one of his hard-line aides and secretary general of his Fatah movement in the West Bank, told Xinhua, "We are waiting for the results of international intervention. Unless there are positive developments on the ground, it is hard to see how the intifada (or uprising) can be stopped."

Arafat, who has been living in confinement for two months now, is looking for a way out, both for himself and for the battered peace process, which are closely intertwined.

(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2002)