The death of Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine National Authority (PNA), affects the nerve of the Middle East and the world as a whole. What does the departure of this decades-long influential fighter imply to Palestine? After his death, how will the various political forces regroup themselves and distribute powers? And what will be the prospect of the Middle East peace process? Centered around these questions, People's Daily invited some experts and scholars to talks freely about their views together with PD reporters stationed abroad.

The Arafat era has come to an end, but his merits are indelible, he is the glorious banner and an unyielding symbol of the Palestinian people.

Tang Zhichao (researcher at the China Modern International Relations Institute): The passing away of Arafat implies the conclusion of the Arafat era. This epoch has the following characteristics: Arafat is the symbol, soul and spokesman of Palestine, Arafat means Palestine, and Palestine means Arafat. Arafat controlled almost all Palestinian power organs, he was the core of Palestinian power. He had great influence on various Palestinian political and armed forces, and was the only leader that could control and restrain various Palestinian factions. Externally, Arafat's dedication to the Palestinian national cause won him universal support from the international community and he played an irreplaceable role. Without Arafat, the international influence of the Palestinian issue and the degree of support it wins may be harmed.

Yin Gang (researcher at the Asia-Africa Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences): Indeed, the departure of Arafat marks the end of an era. Arafat had two brilliant achievements in his lifetime, one was the strategy he put forward in 1988 for the founding of a Palestine state in Gaza and the West Bank of the Jordan River through political negotiation, which won support from various countries the world over; second was the "Oslo Agreement" he signed with Yitzhak Rabin in 1993, since then a certain degree of conciliation was achieved. An overview of Arafat's life shows that his merits are indelible, he will be a heavy weight figure in future Middle East history.

An Weihua (professor at the Asia-Africa Institute of the International Relations School of Peking University): Arafat's status was formed through protracted struggle in the Palestine liberation cause. Since the 1990s, Arafat had made unremitting efforts for Middle East peace, his name and the names of Anwar el-Sadat and Rabin will forever be engraved in the hearts of those people who worked for realization of national conciliation in the Middle East. Although in his later years he was slandered as the core of "terrorism" by Israeli authorities and lost his freedom of action, he remains the glorious banner and unyielding symbol of the Palestinian people.

Tang Zhichao: After Arafat's death, Palestinian political power mechanisms will undergo major changes. In the short term, a collective leadership power mechanism may be formed mainly with the older generation leaders such as Rawhi Fattuh, Mahmoud Abbas , Ahmed Qurei and Farouk Kadoumy, including various forces within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In the long run, Palestine's future power mechanisms will inevitably be regrouped, and it will be politically diversified and democratized.

Yin Gang: The emergence of the Palestinian cabinet, in fact, has theoretically deprived a large part of Arafat's absolute power. Now Arafat has passed away, the various Palestinian departments will operate normally. As for the Palestinian Parliament born out of democratic election, if there is no bloody conflict triggered by an internal faction, it will experience a very quiet transition.

An Weihua: Currently, the views of the Palestinian leadership are basically identical, but in specific lines of action, sometimes there are the tough and gentle, radical and conservative distinctions. Reasons for this are: Some are affected by the interference of the extreme forces of Palestine and Israel, some are affected by the attitudes of other Arab countries. Solidarity of the leadership is not determined entirely by internal factors, in the future if Israel continues to adopt a hard line toward Palestine, it will inevitably arouse strong reaction from Palestine, causing difficulties in coordination among various factions within Palestine. However, in the post-Arafat era, before the formation of a new core of leadership, the various factional forces will more value the unity of the Palestinian side, a situation of parting company will not easily appear.

Huang Peizhao (PD correspondent in Egypt): Currently, there are many positive and optimistic factors within the Palestinian organ of power, no internal tumult occurred when the four magnates of the Palestinian political world simultaneously left the autonomous region, this fact shows that the various Palestinian mechanisms are operating normally and that the various Palestinian forces including the radicals are acting according to rules.

But there is also hidden peril. Hamas and Jihad jointly held a meeting on November 10 to discuss ways to deal with the post-Arafat situation, clearly proposed establishment of a coalition government.

The death of Arafat will exert certain impacts on the peace process of the Middle East, but at the same time it will also bring an opportunity. On the question of peace talks, Israel perhaps would quietly watch change in the situation and await a chance for action, waiting for the emergence of a stable leadership in Palestine.

Yin Gang: After June 2002, both Israel and the United States made a decision to completely discard Arafat. Over the past two years and more, Israel successively got into contacts with Abbas and Qurei, when it discovered that they were not the actual decision-makers of Palestine, Israel actively adopted a decision to give up Gaza unilaterally. Israeli and Palestinian leaders coordinated their actions, this is the prospect the mainstream society of Israel wish to see.

Tang Zhichao: After the death of Arafat, there is hope to break the deadlock that has persisted for as long as four years between Palestine and Israel, but this will still be a dream within a short term.

Huang Peizhao: Currently, Middle East media have made many analyses on the development trends of the future Israeli and Palestinian situation, including both optimistic and pessimistic views. The general assessment is that the situation will turn for the better. The Abbas line is gentle, if things are properly handled, violence will come to an end from now on and Palestine will step on to the road of peace talks; if things are not properly handled, the cycle of violence will possibly continue. This is a test to the wisdom of Palestinian leaders.

In the post-Arafat era, the United States will adjust its policy toward Palestine and will increase its efforts of involvement, but in view of the fact that the current situation in Palestine is not yet stable, the United States will not necessarily be eager to start the peace process.

Yin Gang: The United States wishes to see an end to Palestine-Israel conflicts, which neither conform to the American interests in the Middle East region, nor to its global interests. As to who will be the future negotiation partners, this will depend on who will be the chairman of the Palestine National Authority, the prime minister and the foreign minister after election. These three persons will possibly become the negotiation rivals. I think Abbas, Qurei and the current Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath can all be the negotiation rivals identified by the United States and Israel.

Tang Zhichao: For Bush, the restart of the peace process has many benefits: first, it can revive the already failed peace "roadmap"; second, it can clear of criticisms of Bush's policies by the allies and the Arab world, and can restrain terrorism; third, it helps to win allies'support of reconstruction of Iraq, on the Iranian nuclear issue and the "Great Middle-East Plan"; and fourth, it can promote Palestinian democratic reform, so that Palestine and Iraq will become two breakthrough points in the "Great Middle-East Plan".

But in view of the current instability in Palestine, the United States will not hastily start the peace process. The emphases of US policies in the short terms are: First, to support Abbas, Qurei and other gentle and pragmatic forces to stabilize the political situation, continue to isolate and attack Hamas and other radical forces; second, continue to ask new Palestinian leaders to expedite democratic reform, integrate security organs and attack terrorism, and hold election at opportune time; and third, ask Ariel Sharon to keep a restrained attitude toward Palestine, freeze the construction of settlements, continue implementing the plan for withdrawal from Gaza, and call for including this into the "road map"process and start peace talks at an opportune time.

Huang Peizhao: On November 10, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that he was happy with the "peaceful and civilized transfer of power"in Palestine, emphasizing that the Unite States will have dealings with the new Palestinian government, to promote the establishment of an independent Palestine state through negotiation between Palestine and Israel.

Most Arab countries hope that the Palestinian situation will remain stable, a new moderate leader will appear, and the peace process will be resumed. But at the same time, they do not hope that the new Palestinian leader acts at the beck and call of the United States.

Tang Zhichao: Arab countries will take advantage of the opportunity of Arafat's death to expand their influence and exert their roles. After the death of Arafat, Palestine will depend more heavily on Arab countries, the latter, in turn, will expand their influence and gain their respective benefits.

Huang Peizhao: Egypt and Palestine are closely connected, geographically, they are neighboring each other; politically, Palestine regards Egypt as its backing and stage in the struggle for national independence and liberation; while Egypt plays its regional role as a big country by aid of Palestine.

In brief, the end of the Arafat era will place before Arab countries the task of repositioning their relations with Palestine. On the balance of the interests of these countries, the question as to whether post-Arafat Palestine will remain as weighty as it was before still needs to be observed.

By People's Daily Online