YWN–In an interview with RepubblicaTV marking the 10th anniversary of Yasser Arafat’s death, Mrs. Suha Arafat spoke about her late husband and efforts to achieve regional peace.
“They said my husband impeded peace efforts and we have seen what has happened to the peace after his death,” she began in her interview.
Arafat explained that her late husband did not wish to see his Arab brothers continuing to fight one another, adding that he was the only leader capable of uniting all factions, and since his death, Hamas has taken over control of Gaza. She reports that she and her 19-year-old daughter have been living in Malta.
“I still love him,” she added, “and he loved me very much. But if I went back in time I am uncertain I would have done it. It is the greatest injustice and the lies surrounding this do not stop. They accuse me of not being at his side in the hospital when he was comatose. To my fortune, there were doctors who testified to my presence.”
When asked if her husband was the victim of a political assassination, she did not point a finger at Israel alone. “There were many people who wanted to get rid of him–not only Israel, but also people in his circle.”
Mrs. Arafat attacked Hamas, accusing the Gaza regime of genocide against the Palestinian people and depriving them of any future hope for a better life. “My husband suffered from this all the time, seeing the Arab world divided. He made it a secular state and people went to the beach and enjoyed it. I cannot even begin to describe what is taking place there since, and just how Islamic Hamas has made Gaza. Hamas did not have the right to stop the marches to mark his death as it did. Nothing will erase his memory. He remains in the heart of Palestinians.”
“We have millions of refugees. We must defend our children. It is easy to go to war but most difficult to stop it. The armed conflict today will not lead anywhere. We are simply being destroyed. The sides are not equal. We must continue negotiations to prove that Israel is the one that does not genuinely want peace and not the other way around.”
“Hamas is holding residents of Gaza hostage and when I see what is taking place there–it is simply genocide. There is an entire generation that grew up amid violence, without an education. Their only hope is to emigrate. I hope that eventually Hamas will realize the need to negotiate to reach peace.”
Regarding PA efforts to achieve statehood, Mrs. Arafat said, “The recognition of Palestine throughout Europe is an encouraging sign. I hope that Italy will follow the lead of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, who has already spoken out. The matter must be addressed regarding Palestinian statehood and no one may doubt its existence.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
