Can the Palestinian Authority survive?

The Palestinian legislature has called on Yasser Arafat to accept Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei's resignation over a security crisis in the Gaza Strip and form a new unity government.

The political crisis and related violence in the Palestinian territories appears to be a serious threat to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the organisation he runs, the Palestinian Authority (PA).

A divide has opened up between Mr Arafat's established old guard and a younger generation that is convinced the PA needs to be extensively reformed.

In an attempt to calm the situation, Mr Arafat has reinstated his former head of security Abdel Razek al-Majeida following violent protests in Gaza in which 18 people were wounded.

Should Yasser Arafat accept the resignation? Can the PA survive this crisis? What will the impact be on the peace process? Send us your comments.

This debate has now closed. Thank you for your comments.

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Your comments:

The Palestinian people not only deserve a state within viable borders, but they also deserve a leadership that will truly help their nation to flourish. Arafat is not such a man. If he really cares about his people and if he really wants the world to focus on Israel and its behaviour towards the Palestinians he only has one option. Go now.
David, Tel Aviv, Israel

Years have passed, but the Middle East crisis still exists Ravi Kumar, Stuttgart

That was the time, when Mr Arafat was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding and Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony. He was indeed a popular figure in India too. Years have passed, but the Middle East crisis still exists. Only time can tell, if Yasser Arafat was sincere enough in doing what he needs to do to his people.
Ravi Kumar, Stuttgart, Germany

I think it's a good time for Arafat to resign because it's a US election year. Unfortunately, Israel will step up its attacks against the Palestinians as soon as either Bush or Kerry get elected.
Marc Guvenc, USA

I agree that Arafat should go but the truth is he'll never do it by himself. He is a wise snake. It could be done only by force or his death. The sooner the better.
Vlad, USA

If America made one per cent of the effort they have made supporting the Interim Iraqi government in supporting the Palestinian Authority things would improve. Let's face it, they have no chance of getting out of the mess they are in all the time. Israel (with America's consent) prevents them from have any kind of police force or army to enforce security on the streets.
John Farmer, Henley-on-Thames, UK

If he was running a business the way he runs the affairs of Palestinians he would have been fired long time ago Jack, Cincinnati

Arafat has brought nothing but pain for his people. If he was running a business the way he runs the affairs of Palestinians he would have been fired long time ago. He is a bad manager. I believe Palestinians would do much better under a new management.
Jack, Cincinnati, USA

It's time for him to go; in a democracy even good leaders are not appointed for life.
Fred, Chicago, USA

Anybody outside of the inner circle the arcane workings of the PA and its clever leader, and certainly any Westerner, will never understand the machinations of this oriental intrigue. The PA will survive.
Israel Dalven, Emanuel, Israel

The PA must survive. There is not other viable partner for peace for the Israelis to deal with. Arafat, despite his legacy, must be replaced as soon as possible. He is too old and stubborn to realize this. For younger Palestinians to regain faith in the PA as defenders of their interests, a new, braver, more right wing leader is needed to attract support away from Hamas and extremists.
Gary Peesker, Toronto, Canada

Arafat had his chance for peace four years ago and he failed. After decades of his attempting to use terrorism to force Israel's hand, Israel should now build the fence on their own terms and force separation that way. Arafat could have had a better deal for the Palestinians but he chose the Intifada over peace and has lost that fight.
Philip Thompson, Newcastle, UK

No - there is a clear inability to govern. Splinter groups such as Hamas do as they please and the "central" government cannot/will not exert any authority. The Israelis would be fools to negotiate with this sham government.
Anon, UK

Arafat, post-Oslo, is and had been a tool of Israeli and American aspirations to deny Palestinians a fair and just solution to the conflict. He is cunning but ultimately ineffectual within the framework he is complicit with creating and should be deposed via elections or force. Let's see how happy either Israel or the Americans are with his replacement.
Amir Ali, New York, NY

Attempts to sink Arafat's image gets him an even stronger position in the hearts and minds of his people Sophia, Sana'a City, Yemen

As far as I can remember, there is a proverb that says, "You don't change horses in midstream". For as long as the Israelis continue their belligerent attitude and Arafat is alive he will be recognized as the symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Attempts to sink Arafat's image gets him an even stronger position in the hearts and minds of his people, Arabs, Muslims and Christians brethren, thanks to the hypocritical US and British foreign policies.
Sophia, Sana'a City, Yemen

Might be best for both leaders (Arafat and Sharon) to set aside decades of differences and step down in order to give way to a forward-thinking fresh start.
Sadiya Chowdhury, London

How would Bush feel if he was confined to the White House? Would he, as he so eloquently puts give a victory to the terrorists? The more Arafat is restricted, the less likely he is to step down. Likewise, the more the Palestinians are repressed, naturally they are going to become more obstinate and militant. Or am I a terrorist, if I offer any understanding to their cause?
Evan, UK/Dubai

Before asking the question of can the Palestinian Authority survive? We should ask was there a real Palestinian Authority at first? the Palestinian Authority died simultaneously with its birth, this Authority lacked the sovereignty from the first instance of establishing and could not take any decision without Israel Approval since 1993 till now.
Khaldoon Rashid, Kuwait

The PA will survive as long as the Western media continues to portray Arafat and his cronies as the leaders of the Palestinians Jameel, Boston

The PA will survive as long as the Western media continues to portray Arafat and his cronies as the leaders of the Palestinians and as long as Palestinians are denied a democratic state with fair and free elections! I am a Palestinian-American and I was in Palestine last summer. The overwhelming majority spoke of the corruption of Arafat and the need for a true leader - I think Hanan Ashrawi is a great start!
Jameel, Boston, USA

There is no room for compromise. Reformation in the Palestine Authority is totally useless, irrelevant and futile. The first step is to get rid Arafat and his cronies in the government. Only then the ordinary people of Palestine will have that first real step to lead a normal life.
Matthew Levi Lim, Singapore

The future of Palestine should not be in the hands of Yasser Arafat. The PA is still a credible organization; however, the people of Palestine need a new, dynamic leader who is not perceived as a terrorist by Israel and the West. I personally believe that Hanan Ashrawi would be an excellent choice. But this decision is really up to the Palestinians.
Andrew Moore, Minneapolis, USA

The PA will survive, but they need to get rid of Arafat. His time has past.
Russ Black, USA

The Palestinian Authority will die. It's just a question of time. The PA is nothing more than Yasser Arafat's ego, and all egos die with time.
Jon Becker, Las Vegas, USA

Arafat should step down and allow other Palestinian leaders to move the peace initiative forward. Not much Arafat can do under such confinement.
Jon Osman, USA

Where are the Palestinian's natural allies, the Arab countries of the Middle East? Where is the monetary, technological and political help from their friends? If the Palestinians are going to survive, their Arab neighbours need to step up with the financing.
Ross Glen, San Francisco/USA

Arafat and the rest of the team did a lot to help their people decades ago. But now they're old and tired, and tainted with corruption and cronyism. The whole PA has to be dissolved and replaced by young revolutionary leaders that can win freedom for their people.
Rita, Egypt

As long as Israel and Palestine are fighting, Arafat will remain in power Justin, Georgia, US

Seems to me that if Arafat really cared about the Palestinians he would step down, or at least compromise with the newer generation. I think that he feels that as long as Israel and Palestine are fighting, Arafat will remain in power, so of course he's not going to want to adopt any kind of plan that leads to peace.
Justin, Georgia, US

What authority? This corrupt group has no authority or they would have done something to truly help their people.
Mark, MA, USA

Ultimately, wars create peace. It's time for Europe to stop being so sympathetic towards the Palestinians. After 9/11, Americans have no patience for those who side with terrorists.
Matt, USA

To Matt, USA: "War creates peace"? That is the type of Orwellian double-think rhetoric your country's administration is (ridiculously) spouting while stripping you of your rights and creating further chaos in an already chaotic world in order to further their own selfish agendas. I gather, reading your post, this sleight of hand is effective in some cases. Certainly Arafat's decision making processes are flawed but not more so than that of Sharon, Bush and Blair.
Marilyn, Canada

To Marilyn, Canada: To assert that war has no role in securing peace is to ignore the effects of WWII. War has, in fact, played a leading role in containing and defeating the totalitarian movements of the 20th Century, and we who cherish the right to live free under liberal democratic systems are all better off for it.
Tom, Denver, Colorado, USA

Palestinians need a state, not a state or cronyism, nepotism, corruption and war. Arafat was unable to turn Palestinian Authority into Palestinian state, solely because a state with defined borders and responsibility would have meant an end to conflict with Israel, something that Arafat never planned to have.
Yan Gindin, New York, USA

The time has come for new blood in both the Israeli and Palestinian camps. Change is progress.
Luke, Hamilton, Canada

The situation of the Palestinians is hopeless: They have been denied justice and they don't have power. In these conditions all Mr Arafat can do is share the unhappy fate of his people. Until the world comes to its senses and forces Israel to withdraw completely from the occupied territories, the situation will just continue to rot, and Mr. Arafat will preside over the rot. But to imply that it therefore is all his fault is completely unrealistic.
Manu, Mechelen, Belgium

The last thing that Palestinians need at this moment is a civil war between various factions I Noh, South Korea

Mr. Arafat must heed reform demands of dissidents for the sake of Palestinian unity. The last thing that Palestinians need at this moment is a civil war between various factions. Palestinians should not fight each other when Israel and the United States, its closest ally, are watching to exploit the situation. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leader is not listening enough!
I Noh, South Korea

For me, the biggest question is whether Palestinian Authority should survive, not whether it can survive. Israel made a mistake (that is possible closer to crime) by bringing Arafat to here before 10 years. Without him we probably would already have peace and a Palestinian state. Palestinians do not need the Palestinian Authority, they need a state.
Vladimir, Israel

It's difficult for the PA to survive as long as their leaders do not listen to the people, but only follow their mind and interest. It is the time for all leaders, in Palestine or Israel to be together for the sake of people in Israel and Palestine
RK, Jakarta, Indonesia

There is only one factor left to change to try and resolve this Nick, London, UK

Rabin, Sharon, Barak and Peres were all soldiers who gave up their uniform for politics and made the transition from soldier to politician. They have all tried for peace. Arafat has not been able to make that move. Israel has had a number of Prime Ministers since Oslo, from both the left and right. The Palestinians have just had Arafat and there is still no peace. There is only one factor left to change to try and resolve this.
Nick, London, UK

Why do people not understand that Arafat is an elected leader, elected by the Palestinians to act on their behalf? The only problem is getting the Israelis and Americans to accept this. The 'sovereign government' of Iraq has not been elected by the Iraqis and yet we are asked to accept their authority - what hypocrisy!
Anon, UK

To Anon, UK: If Arafat is the elected leader, when is his term going to end? He has been the Palestinian president since 1994, almost 10 years, without being re-elected even once. Iraq will have an election in less than a year. When will the Palestinians have one?
Amit, California, USA

Arafat does need to go. If it hasn't worked in 35 years then it's not going to work at all. But it needs to be done by the Palestinians themselves.
Robert, London, UK

I wouldn't classify this as a political crisis. I'd classify it as the old being destroyed to make way for the new. The young in Palestine seem to be realizing that they have no future as long as the PA keeps to the status quo. If only young Americans where so bold.
Mike Stinnett, Virginia, USA

Arafat, like the other great revolutionary leader Castro in Cuba, has long over stayed in his position as democratic head of the Palestinian state. The longer Arafat stays in power the more damage he is doing to his place in Palestinian history. Maybe the PA should restrict the number of terms a President can stand. New blood at the top of the PA, someone not tainted by corruption, would be in an excellent position to force home agreements with the Israelis.
Andy, Lincoln, UK

While I have been living in Israel for the better part of 30 years, I have not failed to note that Israel has repeatedly made conditions difficult for the Palestinians. It may be true that it is time for Arafat to step aside but it is even more true that Israel must too abandon its leaders.
David, Tel Aviv, Israel,

The Arafat regime has been from its early days by corruption and nepotism. This also applies to other Arab regimes in the Middle East. The tragedy is that since 1948 the Palestinian leadership have been incapable of settling the situation on realistic terms.
Alec, London

Since moving to the region 8 years ago, there has been several changes in Israeli leadership, a new US President, and maybe a second soon. Now the second Palestinian Prime Minister has resigned. There is only one person left standing, managing to ruin any hope for the Palestinians, while amassing great personal wealth. Time for Arafat to step aside, join his family in Europe, and give the entire region a ray of hope.
John, Rehaovot, Israel

Arafat, is a prisoner of the occupation. There has been a campaign to discredit him by Israel, there will always be corruption in governments, the difference is this one is under occupation and does not even have the freedom to reform. Israel pulls the strings calls all the shots.
Ahmad Hmoud, Jordan, Amman

This crisis is the most grave crisis since the inception of the Palestinian Authority in 1994. The issue needs to be resolved before it descends into civil war - and that is something that the Israelis will exploit under the aegis of `divide and rule'.
Phillip Brand., London, England.

Arafat and Sharon should go Eric, Seattle WA, USA

I think Arafat and Sharon should go. Israel and Palestine need leaders without the terrible shared history of these two.
Eric, Seattle WA, U.S.A.

Now it's a crisis? Where was everyone when Forbes pegged Arafat's personal fortune at over $300 million? In my view he's been sacrificing the Palestinian cause for his own for a long time.
Lawrence, San Francisco

Arafat is probably the most stressed elected leader on the planet. His is certainly not an enviable job where holding out for his people's future is paramount; while doing so, locked within a virtual prison. But reform must come for the sake of the Palestinians and not because it is imposed by Israel or the US.
Mike, Croydon

It would be nice to see a changing of the guard, but the reality is that it will not make any difference. The preaching of death and hatred to the young Palestinian children is a very sad one-way trip that has always been driven by Arafat. They will find it next to impossible to "turn off" the anger they have fostered in these young minds. Should they ever do come to a compromise with Israel, the Palestinians will need a leader that can actually lead and not just blame the world for all of the problems that plague those poor people.
Brent Lingenfelter, Lafayette, USA

After unsuccessfully trying everything else, I would have thought that excluding Yasser Arafat from the picture would be the most obvious measure to take next. It seem that no one trusts him and few believe he has either the energy or the insight to contribute anything positive to this long running mess. The sooner he's gone the better the chances of finding a way forward.
Dave, H, Bourne, UK

The problem is that he's put his personal goals above the needs of his people Mark, Chicago

The problem is that he's put his personal goals above the needs of his people. He's looking for fame and glory. What's needed is real negotiation. The Jews love him because they don't have to work with him. A more business-like leader would eliminate some of the excuses.
Mark, Chicago, USA

It's a sad state of things in Gaza right now. These power-hungry despots undermine any chance for peace with their counterparts in Israel. Arafat lost all legitimate place with the outside world years ago, and his own people will eventually start turning their backs to him. I share the very obvious truth that peace will never prevail until he is out and a new, more visionary leader takes over. My only hope for this grave situation is that Israel can be smart enough not to get involved, since they have in part infused the mess with their inhumane policies regarding the Palestinians.
Sébastien Smith, Quebec City, Canada

What we're seeing now is only a taste of what will happen once Israel pulls out of Gaza. After the pull-out is complete it will be apparent to any one that Israel is not the source of all evil, but rather the only force that kept evil at bay.
Andrea Baucero, Milan, Italy

Just goes to show that a good revolutionary leader makes a bad democratic politician.
Richard Corless, Bridgend, S Wales

It's time for renewal Ricardo, Brazil

The crisis can be resolved if Arafat steps aside and calls for fair elections. It's time for renewal.
Ricardo, Brazil

I have always been an admirer of Yasser Arafat. But he is a tired man now. By clinging to power, he creates more frustration and division among his people. Palestinians don't need two fronts in their fight for freedom.
Mike Aziz, Vancouver, Canada

The problem with Arafat is that he needs to prove to himself and his followers that the 50+ years of struggle and sacrifice were worth the price already paid. Both the Palestinian and Israeli people want and deserve peace and they can only have it when Arafat is gone.
Gregg, Alexandria, VA, USA

It is clear the Palestinians hunger for a state where they can live in peace and justice. The Israelis have denied them a state, Arafat and his corrupt cronies deny them justice, and the terrorists deny them peace. The sooner Arafat is gone, the sooner this knot will be untangled.
Mak Thorpe, Honolulu, Hawaii

They have achieved nothing for the people of Palestine Srinivasan Toft, Denmark

The days of Arafat and the old guard are numbered. They have achieved nothing for the people of Palestine. But the danger of new and radical Islamists emerging as an alternative to the present leadership is not only dangerous but also negative in so far as peace in the region is concerned!
Srinivasan Toft, Denmark

As a Palestinian, I blame Arafat more than anyone - Israel, America or otherwise - for the current miserable plight of the Palestinians. He should go now, 35 years too late.
Mohammed Shenouda, Oxford, UK

This is the current problem facing all Middle East governments. They lack credibility with their people and have fostered anger and resentment in their lands. Democracy, however terrible the new leader may be, is the only cure. Power to the people!
Tom E, NY, USA

Mr Arafat was completely discredited as a leader of the Palestinians long before the most recent imbroglio about his appointing a relative. The Palestinians need someone else to lead their struggling state - someone who will actually look to the welfare of the Palestinians and be willing to negotiate and compromise with Israel to achieve some form of lasting peace. Mr Arafat has repeated shown himself not to be the type of leader which is needed.
Dave Woods, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Better hope so. For years Israel and the US have limited their Middle Eastern policy to attacking Arafat in every way possible, largely inspired by the personal animosity of Sharon. In doing so they have ensured the ongoing popularity of a man seen by many in the region as a martyr, rather than as a rather mediocre old-school politician. But God help Israel when Arafat goes - because it's unlikely that any successor will be so pliable.
Stuart W, London, UK