By: Andrew Coen
Many local rabbis agreed that the legacy the 75-year-old Arafat leaves behind is one of shattered hopes for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "Since he did not lay down any groundwork or prepare a foundation for peace, we can lament that, at most, an impediment to peace has been removed," said Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, spiritual leader of Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. "But we begin with having a long and protracted period of distrust due to the murderous nature of the PLO. We begin with him setting us back rather than bringing us forward. He leaves nothing behind upon which we can build."
Arafat, who spent most of his life, including his final two years, in exile or isolation, served as PLO leader from 1964 until his death in Paris on Nov. 10.
After Arafat and the PLO agreed to recognize Israel in 1993, with the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords, he and Israeli officials worked toward establishing peace. However, after the PLO rejected an offer from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in August 2000 to give the Palestinians 97 percent of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, creating a Palestinian state, an Arab uprising ensued, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000 Israelis and Palestinians.
"I hope that somebody will come to the forefront with a realistic goal of life and hope for peace," Rabbi Stanley Platek, of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre, said. "Hopefully, saner heads will prevail and will gain authority. We have to remain hopeful, because if we give up hope, nothing will be accomplished."
When Arafat tried his hand at diplomacy in the 1990s, he was awarded a controversial Nobel Peace Prize, along with the late Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, for trying to create peace in the Middle East. Many critics feel the prize should not have been given to Arafat because of his terrorist roots and because he failed to live up to the goal of creating peace.
"I think [Arafat's death] presents an opportunity that hasn't existed for many, many years for a peaceful, constructive and permanent settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Temple Israel of Lawrence spiritual leader Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum. "Since Arafat's rejection of the very generous proposal from President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak, he has proven himself to be not only an obstacle to peace but a terrorist with little regard to innocent human life. While it has been necessary for Israel, through its long and glorious history, to wage war at times because all efforts at peace failed, I believe Arafat's legacy will be that he is a man who tried his hand at peace because all his efforts at war failed."
Rosenbaum said that in spite of Arafat's Nobel Prize, "I believe history will show that he failed miserably of reaching his goal for the Palestinian people, namely to establish a sovereign state, which was his for the taking."
Rabbi Kenneth Hain of Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence said that people should not forget Arafat's terrorist roots, which have cost the lives of many Jews. "I think part of me simply feels when the world is contemplating the death of this man, there are so many families that, because of his terrible deeds, are still mourning the loss of their loved ones," said Hain. "It's hard to think about the impact of his death when he caused so much death."
Dr. Faruque Khan, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury, said that he felt that Arafat accomplished a lot for the Palestinian people. "One person's terrorist is another person's hero," said Khan. "George Washington was labeled a terrorist before. [Arafat] was not perfect, but he stood for the rights of his people."
Khan, who has helped organize many interfaith events with Long Island Jews and Christians, said he thinks Arafat's death brings new hope for peace, if Israelis and Palestinians work together. "If the Jewish community and Muslim community put their mind on peace and focus their attention on it, I could see it happening," said Khan. "The man who was called an obstacle to peace is now gone, so we must move forward. I'm hopeful and cautiously optimistic that peace will prevail once both sides put their mind to it."
Hofstra University political science Professor Leslie Feldman said that with a new and more moderate PLO leader - former Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas - possibly replacing Arafat, there might be renewed hope for peace. "While it is a sad [time] for Palestinians, this can also serve as a new beginning with a new leader," said Feldman. "[Abbas] is well liked by the Israelis and respected by the Americans."
Palestinian officials have scheduled presidential elections to replace Arafat for Jan. 9, when it is expected that Abbas will run for the post.
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