In light of the death of Yassar Arafat, Palestine and other areas of the Middle East still find themselves fighting for peace.
Peace in the Middle East not only concerns those involved, it affects those in the Mid-South, and those on the campus of The University of Memphis. Many people on campus are not sure that peace is possible in the Middle East.
"The tradition of interethnic hostility is so great that the prospects for peace are low," said Dr. David Ciscel, professor of economics.
Freshman Karen Brown agreed with Ciscel.
"I don't think there will be peace anytime soon," said the physical therapy major.
"There are countless people still around who follow Arafat's beliefs."
Arafat, the previous leader of Palestine, played a major role in his country's independence movement. As a leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Arafat built a series of bases in Lebanon and established his own mini-state. His open support of Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 cost Arafat popularity points according to reports from GlobalSecurity.org.
Over in Israel, Wikipedia lists Ariel Sharon as the 11th holder of the office of Prime Minister. Sharon has been considered a strong leader for his battles with terrorism and his tough non-negotiation policies. However, supporters of the Arab-Palestinian causes and critics also regard him as the "Butcher of Beirut," possibly due to his involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacre while he was the Defense Minister of Israel.
"They both (Arafat and Sharon) lived on antagonism," said Ciscel.A summit regarding the resolution of conflict is scheduled to take place this week in Algiers. However, only 13 of 22 Arab leaders are scheduled to attend. Those missing include King Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen and President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon, according to a report from BBC News.
Of course as in every story there are two sides.
Several students were indecisive due to lack of knowledge or disagreed on the subject of peace.
"Given the differences between Palestinians and Israelis...I don't know," said David McAlister. The junior sports, leisure and management major is hopeful that someday there will be peace in the Middle East.Other students like Sir Walter Richardson, while not too knowledgeable about what has been going on in the Middle East, are of the opinion that Sharon is "doing alright."
"I haven't heard any bad news since Arafat's death. It could be that the news is biased," said the junior engineering major.
One thing is certain if peace is to occur: both countries have to work for it.
"It will be a long road to peace. The best way to handle this situation is through the use of long complicated piecemeal negotiations," said Ciscel.
