ABSTRACT
For many decades since its creation in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has been the authoritative voice of Palestinian nationalism. As a central actor in the region, its top leadership has been capable of either blocking or legitimating a political settlement of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Based on conversations with Yasir Arafat during the early 1980s, the author analyzes the thinking of the long-serving leader, probing the questions of whether the PLO under his leadership was ready to accept a political settlement and under what conditions it could be encouraged to join the peace process. While many have sought indications of such readiness, Arafat’s signals have been ambiguous and inconsistent. The author discusses the political and psychological components of Arafat’s cognitive style and his image of the enemy, and concludes that he had the capacity and would negotiate an agreement with Israel based on mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence, if the PLO were offered necessary incentives and reassurances.
