Arafat's support ebbing away

With many of the white ceiling tiles over his head missing like a bunch of knocked-out teeth, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat sat in the remnants of his half-destroyed headquarters here and told Palestinian legislators that there has been "enough bloodshed, enough conflict."

But President Arafat's hour-long speech Monday was dismissed by many observers as another meandering monologue that condemned violence against civilians – including the Sept. 11th attacks –yet stopped short of demanding an end to violence against Israelis. It also failed to show Palestinian reformers that Arafat was serious about making the political changes necessary to end corruption and restore credibility to the Palestinian Authority.

"The problem," complains Hatem Abdel Qater, a legislator from East Jerusalem, "is that there is no plan."

Some of Arafat's critics interrupted his speech – unthinkable a year or two ago – to urge him to consider creating a position of Palestinian prime minister. Abbas Zaki, a legislative council member from Gaza, also interrupted to demand specific plans for legislative elections.

Mr. Zaki is among those backing a politically symbolic vote of no-confidence in Arafat's government Wednesday. Even members of Arafat's own Fatah movement are reportedly wavering on whether to support the vote.

Speaking two days before the anniversary of Sept. 11 – a day which fundamentally changed how Americans viewed the once-distant problem of terrorism – Arafat's effort to repair his image and credibility seems to have failed.

Israeli and American officials have been so tepid in their response to Arafat's mixed messages – his calls for a return to the peace negotiations came with support for continued "resistance" against Israeli occupation – that there appears to be a growing indifference to what Arafat has to say.

Palestinians generally were also underwhelmed by his use of this week's opportunity to make a statement on domestic political change.

The critics assembling at this week's legislative council session fall into two camps: those who demand that he agree to appoint or allow the election of a prime minister who can handle the Palestinian Authority's day-to-day affairs, and those who think Arafat must be replaced altogether.

"I think his goal here was to gain acceptance in the international community," says political analyst Mustafa Barghouti, lingering in the media-swamped courtyard of Arafat's Ramallah headquarters.

"But without real, free, democratic elections," says Mr. Barghouti, the Palestinian Authority won't regain its standing. "We are demanding serious changes in the election law. What we saw [from Arafat's speech] is a repetition of the last six years. What we are missing," he says of Arafat's outlook, "is the urgency of the moment."

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