Speaking of the Leader of the Middle East who often wears an Arab checkered turban, I am afraid that anyone who does not know much about international politics can call him by his name: the famous Palestinian National Authority President Arafat.
As a young man, Arafat was once a brilliant soldier who served in the Egyptian army and experienced the Suez Canal War. He then returned to Palestine and formed guerrilla groups to fight the Israeli army, making him a hero to the Palestinians.
However, the late stage of Arafat's political career has undergone considerable changes in the line from the previous period, and what has this change brought to him?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="3" > the middle East's undead birds were placed under house arrest in their later years</h1>
Because Arafat had insisted on a tough policy toward Israel, the Israeli government regarded him as a thorn in his side and repeatedly sent assassins to assassinate him, but they were all evaded by the astute Arafat. Therefore, he also received the nickname of the immortal bird of the Middle East.
However, this leading figure in the Middle East political arena fell into a great crisis in his later years, almost spending the last years of his life under house arrest, and the immortal bird finally became a caged bird.
As the twenty-first century began to escalate, a new round of conflict between Palestine and Israel began to escalate, and in September 2000, Israel, while intensifying its large-scale military strikes against Palestinian-controlled areas, also targeted Palestinian Leader Arafat directly.
In late 2001, the Israeli army surrounded Arafat at his official residence in Ramallah and refused to communicate with Arafat.
Next, the Israeli government took further action, prohibiting Arafat from leaving Ramallah's official residence to participate in political activities, and since then he has completely lost his freedom. Israel responded to him in "total isolation" in an attempt to trap him in his official residence.
Since then, the Israeli army has also taken measures such as water and electricity cuts, and even sent bulldozers to damage some buildings in the official residence. Although these methods caused Great Trouble for Arafat, he persevered.
During his house arrest, the Celestian government repeatedly threatened Arafat and even publicly declared that it would attack him, as it had done with Hamas leaders Yassin and Rantisi.
In fact, the Israeli government's house arrest of Arafat is aimed at cutting him and the Palestinian National Authority under his leadership off from the outside world. Over time, the legitimacy of this organization, which truly represents the Palestinian people, will become less and less, because it will not be able to exercise its powers normally.
As a result, the institution that is genuinely committed to advancing the Middle East peace process will gradually wither away, and Israel will prop up an obedient new regime as its own puppet.
In the years when Arafat began to compromise with Israel, rumors of corruption in the Palestinian National Authority began to prevail, and years of lack of success in the Middle East peace process led to a decline in Arafat's popular support.
The United States and Israel seized this opportunity by repeatedly making clear in public their desire to replace Arafat with Abbas, a new challenge to Arafat within Palestine.
But even if Abbas's puppet regime comes to power, it will obviously be difficult to gain broad support, and Palestine will only fall into division. All the relevant agreements and understandings previously reached by the parties will also face invalidity, and the situation between Palestine and Israel will deteriorate again.
Abbas
Arafat was also devastated by a long period of harsh living conditions and a series of discords in political activities.
After not seeing the sun for a long time and unable to breathe fresh air, this seventy-year-old man has long lost his former radiance and his physical condition is deteriorating.
Arafat's official residence, located not far from downtown Ramallah in the West Bank, was besieged with only half of the dilapidated-looking buildings that had long since been cleared by the Israeli army.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="6" > loyal security guards accompany Arafat through three difficult years</h1>
The Israeli military allowed only a few people to visit Arafat, which was also a means of mentally striking him. One of his friends who had visited him said that Arafat had become very anxious after being placed under house arrest, and he looked very tired, depressed, and his appearance was very poor.
This is actually very normal, although Palestine is only a small country, but Arafat is also the head of a country, has a lot of power, is a big man in the Middle East, and now he is under house arrest in a narrow official residence, not only losing his freedom but also losing power, which is unacceptable.
At this time, Arafat was alone, there was no decent guard around him, and even there were some children in his guards.
Among these guards, two men named Omar and Ibrahim, were only fourteen years old, but looked no different from ten years old due to their harsh living conditions and malnutrition.
They claim to be fighters for palestinian leaders and national independence, but in fact they are sneaking in, and their parents do not know that they are in such a dangerous place.
But the two children were still loyal and dutiful, and it was precisely because of this that Arafat, who had been reluctant to accept them at first, finally agreed.
At that time, the Israeli army bribed some civilians, often throwing tear gas, as well as stones and shrapnel at Arafat's official residence.
Omar and Ibrahim wear gas masks and begin their mission as soon as there is movement, disposing of items thrown in from outside.
Sometimes, in order to deter them, the Israeli army drove tanks and armored vehicles over to intimidate them. Looking at the muzzle of the black hole hole, the two teenagers were also not afraid, although they did not have decent weapons and only held slingshots.
But it was this courage that intimidated the invincible Israeli army and made them dare not act rashly.
Omar and Ibrahim are a microcosm of Arafat's loyal defender community, and it is with these loyal subordinates that Arafat can barely survive such a difficult situation.
The inner courtyard of the mansion was only about the size of two basketball courts, and a guard stood inside and outside the entrance to the courtyard in front of Arafat's three-story house.
In order to prevent outsiders from storming the mansion, Arafat's loyal guards stacked high sandbags at the entrance of the mansion and separated the passage into a standard barricade in the shape of a zigzag, restricting access to security personnel and staff. In addition, the basement windows are also sealed with sandbags, which is mainly to play a bulletproof role.
Arafat spent about three years under house arrest, but these loyal security guards were able to keep him safe temporarily, but they could not return to his health. By the second half of 2004, Arafat's body was finally out of the question.
At the end of October, Arafat's condition began to deteriorate, and several doctors went to his official residence to diagnose him, but there was no sign of improvement.
Israel announced that Arafat would be allowed to travel anywhere for medical treatment, which means that the three-year house arrest has been lifted for the first time.
Arafat then went to France for treatment, but unfortunately could not return to Heaven, and on November 11, 2004, Arafat died in Paris due to ineffective medical treatment.
Arafat traveled to Paris for treatment
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" > The cause of death after Arafat's death has finally come to light</h1>
The cause of Arafat's death has always been controversial, although the official statement is that he died of illness, but it cannot be ruled out that he died of poisoning, and the matter has not been conclusive due to the autopsy carried out before the burial.
But in 2012, the Palestinian National Authority finally agreed to an autopsy by experts from various countries, which revealed the mystery of Arafat's death, and polonium-210 was found on the organization of his body, as well as on his clothes and daily necessities.
It was a strong radioactive substance that could cause fatal damage to people on long-term contact, and arafat's true cause of death was finally revealed.
However, it is unknown who is behind it, some people say that Israeli special forces assassinated him, and some people say that it is the consequence of the internal Palestinian struggle for power.
But in fact, no matter who the culprit who killed him = who it was, a political strongman who had been in the Middle East, but in his later years he fell into this situation, and his death was unclear, which really made people sigh.
But in fact, this is also inextricably linked to himself.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="11" > unrealistic fantasies about the enemy will eventually bury themselves</h1>
In the early years, Arafat's policy toward Israel was always based on military confrontation, and he also won such a brilliant victory as the Battle of Karamai. It can be said that his lofty status in the eyes of the Palestinian people was also acquired mainly through confrontation with Israel.
But later in his political career, Arafat made the mistake of right opportunism and developed unrealistic illusions about his former enemies, unaware that true peace was always achieved on the battlefield, and what was not available on the battlefield was also not available at the negotiating table.
Perhaps Israeli Prime Minister Rabin is a true pacifist, but he is not the mainstream in Israel, and there are many hardliners like Sharon, and in this context, Rabin's policy will not be sustained for long, even if he is not assassinated.
Ever since Arafat abandoned his previous beliefs and began to compromise, his tragic fate has been doomed. It was not easy to put down the barrel of the gun and try to pick it up, and after Sharon came to power, he could only be held by others without any resistance. In such adversity, even a few loyal guards will not help at all.
For a true warrior, one should never lay down one's weapon, even if one does not use it, one should use it to deter the enemy.
Unrealistic illusions about strong enemies will not only put themselves in a position of being slaughtered, but also ruin their lifelong cause.