«——【Preamble】】 ——
Since the outbreak of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, 2023, the Gaza Strip has become synonymous with suffering, with Israeli army bombardment everywhere and every shell bringing despair to a family.
In the previous development of Palestine, it is not difficult to find that it actually had several opportunities to turn around, but they were all missed due to Arafat's wrong decision, and even China's advice several times has not had a clear effect......
So what wrong decisions did Arafat, who can be regarded as a generation of heroes, make in the construction of Palestine?
«——[·Arafat·]——
Born in 1929, at a time of turmoil in the Middle East, Arafat grew up in the early 20th century with the rise of Zionism and tensions in Palestine, witnessing firsthand the bloody conflict between ethnic and Jewish people.
At the root of these conflicts was the influx of Jews into Palestine for the sake of their own reunification movement, which led to conflicts with the local Arabs, and it can be said that the experience of this period made a very deep impression on Arafat.
Later, with the end of World War II, Britain and the United States proposed a plan to divide Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state, but this proposal was opposed by the Arabs. They see this as an encroachment on their land, an unfair arrangement.
Thus, the Arabs started the war against Israel, and Arafat was also involved, Arafat was indeed good at fighting, and his early participation in the war boosted the morale of the Palestinian people, but he did not stop there.
In 1958, he participated in the creation of the Fatah organization and contributed to the liberation of Palestine, but later faced international pressure and internal refugee problems, Arafat hesitated.
In 1965, Arafat met with Chinese leader Zhou Enlai to seek support and advice on the war plan, and Premier Zhou Enlai made clear his support for the just cause of the Palestinians, but also reminded them that they should consider the problem of internal refugees and suggested that the establishment of a Palestinian state should be prioritized.
After all, at this time, consolidating his own power first is the most important thing, but Arafat did not listen, but chose to continue the armed struggle, which was his first chance to obtain stable development.
«——[Arafat's obsession]——
Because Arafat miscalculated the international situation at the time and took radical political views and actions that pushed Palestine into a deeper predicament, he failed to realize that a radical stance could lead to disastrous consequences, and instead chose to fight Israel instead of seeking the opportunity to establish a state.
This radical attitude not only failed to win the support of the international community, but also plunged Palestine into a deeper quagmire in the contradictions with Israel, and Arafat had no bottom line in governing the country and adopted cruel methods, such as hijacking passenger planes and kidnapping people, which seriously damaged the international image of Palestine.
On September 6, 1970, Palestinian militant groups hijacked three airplanes and imprisoned passengers in the desert for nearly a week, not counting the fact that his army stormed the homes of Israeli civilians and wantonly killed innocent civilians.
Zhou Enlai repeatedly reminded Arafat that he must have a loving heart to govern the country, but Arafat failed to listen and continued to treat the problem with cruel methods, which was his second mistake.
These mistakes have led to the long-term suffering of Palestine, the people of the Gaza Strip who live in daily war and fear, whose economic development has been severely hampered and whose living conditions are extremely difficult.
In particular, women and children have become the main victims of Israel's revenge, they cannot escape the flames of war, they have long been numb to the war, and they just want to grow up in peace.
«——【Current Dilemma and Hope·】——
Palestine has also tried to obtain UN protection through its application for membership, but since 2011 this decision has been repeatedly rejected by the United States, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and maintains close relations with Israel, which has made the situation even worse.
At present, Palestine is facing an unprecedented predicament, the people of the Gaza Strip are living in the flames of war due to Israel's military operations, innocent women and children have become the greatest victims, and the indifference and pressure of the international community have made it difficult for Palestine to get out of the status quo and to receive the support and help it deserves.
Since the beginning of this month, the international community has held several meetings on the question of whether Palestine will join the United Nations, and after all kinds of difficulties and pressure from the United States, on 11 May, the UN General Assembly reconsidered Palestine's application for membership in the United Nations, and finally won the affirmative votes of 143 countries.
This indicates that Palestine is expected to become a full member of the United Nations and enjoy its due rights and status, and it can be said that this is the best news for Palestine at present, and many countries are also angry and sympathetic to Palestine's plight, and more and more airdrops are flying over Palestine, bringing them hope to continue to live.
But even so, Palestine continues to face military strikes and humanitarian crises from Israel, and the Gaza Strip is frequently bombed by Israel, leaving the population in extreme fear and unease.
Children, in particular, have been forced to grow up in the flames of war from birth, and their faces are full of despair and fear compared to their peers abroad, and the conflict between Palestine and Israel has lasted far too long, resulting in countless innocent lives and humanitarian disasters.
It is hoped that in the future, the desire for peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel will be fulfilled as soon as possible, so that the Palestinian people can live a stable and happy life.
«——【·Conclusion·】——
As the "father of the nation" of Palestine, Arafat had a certain influence in the Western society, but he failed to seize the opportunity and effectively unite the forces of all Palestinian parties, resulting in an increasingly difficult position for Palestine in the international community.
In the history of Palestine, we have seen many lost opportunities that could have changed the fate of Palestine, but which were lost by wrong choices and wrong leadership.
If he had listened at the beginning, perhaps Palestine would not have ended like this.
Resources
Yasser Arafat's Biography: PLO Fighters Fought all his life
The General Assembly resolution recommended that Palestine's application for membership be reconsidered by 143 votes in favour
The United States vetoed Palestine's application for "joining the United Nations" with one vote, and many parties condemned it, and Israel thanked it