A Mandela for the Palestinians

Sir: Your leading article (5 May) suggests Israel may have found its De Klerk in Rabin but the Palestinians have not found their Mandela in Arafat. Painful as this is for a Palestinian to admit, you have highlighted a regrettable fact.

The irony is that Arafat became the Mandela of the Palestinians when he courageously signed the Declaration of Principle on the lawn of the White House last September and sealed it with the well- publicised handshake.

He has since failed to build on that extraordinary image of a brave peacemaker who has foresight and vision. Instead, he is now portrayed, with some justification, as a haggler and a whimsical autocrat who is more tactical than strategic in his thinking. He is accused of being fearful of delegating responsibility and authority lest he lose his dominating power.

If Arafat wants to shed this negative public image, he must change. He needs to act like the statesman he was last September. What the Palestinians and the rest of the democratic world expect of him, first and foremost, is to push ahead with the agreed plans for holding free elections in the territories for the Governing Council and its chairman. From this process will emerge a new democratic order for the Palestinians of which they will be proud.

If Arafat emerges as the winner, the Palestinians will have found their Mandela.

Yours faithfully,

S. A. SHERIF

London, W1

10 May