POLITICS: Palestinian Polonium Puzzle

PALESTINIAN LEADER Yasser Arafat is back in news. Arafat, under whose leadership not only Palestinians but also Arabs across the region rallied, will now be remembered as a martyr of conscience.

The report by scientists that he was poisoned sends across the message that the Palestinian statehood has for long been a victim of conspiracies. While who plotted to kill Arafat remains a mystery, it has been ascertained that the ageing leader was poisoned with polonium, a radioactive element, as he could not be eliminated politically.

Arafat’s unparalleled struggle for Palestinian independence, statehood and identity will long be remembered. It’s time for the Palestinian authorities to formally pursue the findings of the Swiss researchers who conducted the investigation and explore the untapped clues in it. It is imperative to identify the source of the polonium, which apparently came from a nuclear reactor.

The finger of accusation could be pointed at any of the nuclear powers, including Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas believes that Palestinians should get to know the complete truth. There is no second opinion about it. As Suha Arafat, Arafat’s widow, said, it is a “political murder”, obviously to reverse the diplomatic and psychological gains that the late leader had achieved.


The best way to pay homage to the deceased soul — and to thwart the conspiracies against Palestinians — is to further strengthen unity and unanimously push for a two-state solution. Arafat’s death should act as a catalyst to put to an end the sense of marginalisation among Palestinians.