Arafat’s Illness Opens a Door

Some prognosticators -- by no means all -- warn darkly that Yasser Arafat’s serious illness and departure from the West Bank may trigger a chaotic power struggle. But it is equally an opportunity for a thaw in the frozen Middle East peace process.

Arafat is 75 and suffering from an unknown ailment that prompted the Israelis Thursday to let him go abroad for treatment. To Palestinians he remains the symbol of their struggle for a nation; to many others he is the man who was unwilling to accept a good offer from Israel four years ago to construct a separate nation, preferring to portray himself as the fighter, not the achiever.

If Arafat dies or remains too ill to govern, it’s unclear who would succeed him as head of the Palestinian Authority -- the government of the Palestinians -- or of the Fatah movement or the larger umbrella group of which it is a part, the Palestine Liberation Organization. It is doubtful any one person would hold all three posts.

It is a decisive moment. If Palestinians are able to agree on a new leader or leaders, Israel should be prepared to negotiate with whoever emerges. The new leader or leaders would have to hew to the framework of earlier peace talks, accepting Israel’s existence, condemning terrorism and working to stop attacks on the Jewish state. The United States should reactivate its involvement in Palestinian-Israeli dialogue.

Though Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government and the U.S. have refused to negotiate with Arafat, Israel has worked with each of the three men picked to wield interim power over the Palestinian Authority in Arafat’s absence. Arafat’s departure should spur Israel to return to the diplomatic “road map” drawn up by the U.S., the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

If Arafat is replaced with a transitional interim government, Israel can offer support by negotiating with it and letting more Palestinians into Israel to work, helping to relieve the poverty that has increased greatly since the renewal of fighting four years ago. Elections for a new Palestinian Authority president also would test the popularity of candidates and their ability to form political coalitions or parties.

Arafat’s refusal to step aside or anoint a successor delayed the creation of an independent Palestine. The most honorable action he could take now, if he is able, would be to accede to the interim government. The reformers and moderates who have long complained about the worsening situation since the renewal of the war on Israel should grasp their chance to do what he would not, and build a nation.