Yasser Arafat: Palestinian leader whose empty pistol frightened his enemies
Leading Israeli lawyer Joel Singer believes he has never seen a better speaker than Yasser Arafat.
He was like the gambler of Hollywood movies who, despite having bad cards, always deceived people and showed that he would win in the end.
When everyone thinks that the talks have reached their final stage and now an agreement is about to be reached that Yasser Arafat would suddenly increase his demands.
If the signing ceremony is tomorrow, Arafat would try to get as many concessions as possible for himself today.
Address at the United Nations
Security was tight at the United Nations headquarters in New York on November 13, 1974.
Yasser Arafat, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), an organization working for the liberation of Palestine, was invited to address the UN General Assembly.
For the first time, a person who was not the leader of a country was to receive this honor.
Nabil Shat, a close ally of Arafat at the time and later the first foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority, still remembers that day.
"For the first time, Arafat acknowledged something he had never accepted before," he said.
He had shaved off his beard and put on a new suit. The khaki suit was neatly ironed and it was shiny. "
At the same time, a convoy of cars headed for the Astoria Hotel to make Arafat's opponents feel that they were being driven to their hotel.
On that day, Arafat concluded his speech with two memorable remarks.
He said, "I have brought here the olive branch (message of peace) and the gun of Mujahid Azadi." Don't let that olive branch f
all from my hand. '
The next day, the speech became the headline of every major newspaper in the world, and within nine days, the United Nations passed Resolution 3237, giving the PLO the status of observer at the United Nations.
Be very careful for your safety
Arafat was short.
Only five feet four inches or maybe less.
They looked like they needed a quick bath.
Alan Hart, author of Arafat's autobiography, wrote: "Arafat was a short man, about 5 feet 4 inches or less.
Wherever he was or whatever he was doing, he could not sit in one place from China.
They could have been shot.
We used to say that Arafat would suddenly stop us and change his place.
We never asked them why.
His movements from one place to another were kept so secret that even people close to him did not know where he was going.
He once said, "Israel shot down a Libyan passenger plane in February 1973, killing all 100 people on board.
I don't have any evidence, but I wouldn't be surprised if I found out later that Israel shot down the plane in the hope that I or our comrades were on board. "
Late marriage
Former Indian diplomat and UN Under-Secretary-General Chanmey Greikhan had the opportunity to meet him several times.
"I met Arafat several times ... Hundreds of times, because I was stationed in Gaza by the United Nations.
They could be very enchanting if they wanted to.
He had a short beard and was always in military uniform.
"He was a simple man.
But as far as the Palestinian movement or relations with Israel were concerned, they took it very seriously and viewed it with suspicion.
"They got married too late," says Greikhan.
They used to say that their marriage is with Palestine.
He later married Soha.
Suha was a Christian, while Arafat was a Sunni Muslim.
It is said that Soha loved Arafat very much.
He also had a daughter who must have grown up now.
He lived in a very modest and small house in Gaza, with two floors.
Arafat lived on the first floor and his wife lived on the ground floor with her daughter.
Arafat's military uniform
Arafat was always seen in military uniform. His shoes always shone like those of British military officers.
Yasser Arafat's biographers Barry Rubin and Judith Colp Rubin say:
Arafat did not wear a suit or tie because it was a western dress and other expensive clothes gave the impression of luxury which means corruption.
One could tell by his distinctive beard that he was a poor Palestinian farmer.
His clothes also presented him as a soldier on the battlefield who did not have time for personal luxury.
Khamenei, Hafez al-Assad, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden all looked good who could have been cast as super villains in a Hollywood thriller bent on conquering the world.
Yasser Arafat looked quite the opposite in his clothes and demeanor, and others misunderstood that he could be easily defeated.
High alert at 12 o'clock at night
"They slept in two shifts. From four to seven in the morning and from four to six in the evening, so at midnight Arafat was in his best form.
"Whenever you ask them to meet, they never say no and they always meet at 12-11 pm and at night they are the most alert," says Greikhan.
Arafat always carried a pistol around his waist.
When he first addressed the UN, he was told that carrying weapons was forbidden in the auditorium.
The agreement was that he would wear a pistol holster on his khaki uniform, but it would not contain a pistol.
Sitaram Yechury, the leader of the Marxist Communist Party of India, had the opportunity to meet him several times.
Once in Cairo, when he hugged me, I had a great opportunity to pull out his pistol.
I also told them why you are not careful. One can do this.
"Let me tell you a secret, there are no bullets in this pistol," he said. I asked them, "Then why do you have a pistol?"
"Because I have a pistol, many people who want to shoot at me think twice before they do it," Arafat said.
Love honey
Famous journalist Shyam Bhatia had the opportunity to meet Yasser Arafat several times. Once, during an interview, he became angry.
"It was very difficult to interview Arafat in those days," says Shyam Bhatia. I became friends with his staff.
They told me to bring a bottle of honey for Arafat if you wanted to interview him.
Once I went to Tunisia for an interview. About 20-25 minutes later, I asked him if I could interview his wife. Arafat was furious.
He said, "How dare you talk about my wife, get out of the room right away.
" I said nervously, "I have brought you a bottle of honey, which is on the table outside."
When I reached the hotel, I had just closed the door of my room when there was a loud knock on the door.
Bhatia says: "Arafat's two bodyguards were standing outside.
They put me in a car and took me to the same house in Arafat where they had taken me out.
When the door opened, Arafat was standing with a very beautiful woman.
"Meet my wife Soha." I said, "Are you angry with me?" "It simply came to our notice then.
You stop and eat with us and thank you very much for the honey. ”Shake hands with Benazir Bhutto.
Like Rajiv Gandhi, Yasser Arafat was very close to Benazir Bhutto.
Once a funny incident happened between the two.
When Benazir became the Prime Minister, she told her Chief of Protocol, Arshad Sami Khan, to be careful not to shake hands with any male leader.
Meanwhile, when Arafat reached Karachi, Benazir went to the airport to receive him.
Arshad Sami Khan writes in his autobiography 'Three Presidents and N Aid': 'It is the responsibility of the Chief of Protocol to board the ship and welcome the guest from abroad.
As I was climbing the stairs of Arafat's plane, Benazir called me and whispered in my ear, "Don't forget to remind Arafat that I don't shake hands.
Excellency, Benazir Bhutto is standing below to welcome you.
I just came to remind you that they do not shake hands with men.
Arafat said, "Yes, yes ... I have been told this many times.
However, thanks for the reminder.
Arshad Sami further writes: "As soon as Arafat came down, I saw that he had extended his hand to shake hands with Benazir.
Benazir stretched out her hand, staring at me hesitantly.
We were just walking when they whispered to me in Urdu so that Arafat could not understand, "You did not tell them that I do not shake hands with men."
Before I could answer, Arafat said with a mischievous smile: "Thank you for not kissing you.
It's an Arabic ritual that I kiss on the cheek of anyone who comes to greet me."
Not once, but twice, on both cheeks. The three of us laughed and headed for the salute.