George Washington Arafat?

February 3, 2002

by John F. Schmidt

Is Yasser Arafat a modern day George Washington? He thinks so.

Yasser Arafat, comparing himself to George Washington in a speech January 26, 2002 from his beleaguered Ramallah compound said “Didn’t George Washington fight along with his people, until they freed the United States?”

There the comparison ends, and the difference begins.

As an American who holds George Washington’s memory in very high regard, I find Arafat’s self-comparison to Washington particularly loathsome.

High regard for Washington continues today, as it was in post-revolutionary times. An excerpt from the book, The Real George Washington, states: “Washington has been scrutinized and analyzed from every direction. Authors and scholars have looked at his private life, his religious life, his skills as a farmer, his military accomplishments, his ability as President. Complete volumes have been devoted to subjects as diverse as Washington’s childhood, foreign policy, and role in forming the Constitution. Some researchers have written for very special interests, producing books on Washington’s chinaware, his involvement in Masonry, and the music in his family. Other volumes discuss Washington and money, Washington and the law, Washington and the theatre, Washington as an employer and importer of labor, and Washington’s pedigree.”

While we cannot examine Yasser Arafat’s life with anything like the detail that has been devoted to Washington’s, it would still be very instructive to take just a few recent incidents and compare the two men.

George Washington was a man driven by high principles, who valued the truth as something to be cherished above all other things. His honesty truly is legendary. He said: “Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.” History has shown that his character was rightfully honored. But Yasser Arafat uses words only to achieve an effect - not to convey truth. He is fond of telling Westerners what they want to hear about the prospects for peace in the Middle East, while simultaneously telling his Islamic audiences that the destruction of Israel is and always has been his chief goal. Arafat is a liar. Sycophants in the Western media have portrayed him positively, but their writings, like much of what he himself says, are a lie.

George Washington was chosen by vote and universal approval. He held his positions through merit, and a process of free elections and open and honest debate of the issues. He did not have his opponents killed or imprisoned; nor did he take power by a coup. Arafat has never been elected to any office. He is a dictator, who achieved his position by force and terror, much the same way he stays in power. To regard him as a head of state is to grant him far too much credit for being part of a legitimate government. The PLO of Yassar Arafat is a terrorist organization that owes its claims to legitimacy to nations who have compromised their principles to support him; or like Saudi Arabia, actually support him in his terrorism.

George Washington led his armies against the British in accord with the rules of war of those days. We would regard those rules to be hopelessly simplistic and overly concerned with ‘honor’ and procedure today, but that ‘fault’ would still reflect well on the courage and character of the combatants. In contrast, Arafat and his thugs will not engage the Israeli army: instead they use deluded surrogates - brain-washed suicide bombers - to deliberately target and kill innocent non-combatants. Arafat is a murderer of women and children. It is true that innocent are sometimes killed by the retaliation of the Israelis, but the innocent are not the targets. George Washington was a man of honor, who would not think of attacking civilians in order to punish his opponent.

When George Washington and Continental army accepted the surrender of the British army, neither they nor the British considered continuing the war surreptitiously under the cover of a ‘cease fire’ or peace accord. Such a deception would have been a violation of their mutual word and honor. Several weeks ago, a vessel was intercepted while steaming to the Middle East with fifty tons of Iranian weapons bound for the PLO. The captain and crew were in the employ of the Palestinian Authority, led by Yasser Arafat. This was planned after September 11, and even after a cease-fire agreed to by Arafat. The vessel, purchased for this purpose by the PLO, was bringing heavy weapons into the area at a time that they were ostensibly working towards peace. Yasser Arafat denies any knowledge of the vessel. Right. More lies.

George Washington did not receive sufficient money from the Continental Congress to feed and quarter his men at Valley Forge. He himself served without pay, but urged Congress to guarantee his men half-pay after the war. Yet Yasser Arafat has misappropriated millions of dollars of aid from the European Union and disbursed it to the waiting hands of thousands of militia members who form part of his terror organization. I say “misappropriated” because the alternative is practically unthinkable. When given the chance to really help his Palestinian clients, he uses the money to create more mayhem.

Finally, George Washington did more to set this country on a right path than any other man. His quiet restraint and resistance to elevating himself to King or dictator, and his constant self-effacing manner in the presidency helped to create a model of public service - particularly for the presidency - that served well until late in the twentieth century. Much of the institutional vitality of the US governmental system owes its origin to Washington.

By contrast, Arafat is coming to be known for his true character: a conniving liar, intent only on his fanatical devotion to the destruction of Jews and the Jewish state. There is nothing positive about the man’s public persona.

Washington died with every American tongue praising him, and every heart genuinely broken and saddened to see him go. I predict that it will not be the same for Arafat, even among those who are today the loudest to proclaim his greatness. He will go down in history as a junior to Hitler, Stalin, and bin Laden, remembered not for good, but for evil. (Is 14:19)

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John F. Schmidt has written numerous articles over the last decade. Politically, he is an Alan Keyes-type Republican. Along with his wife, he has organized voter drives in Pennsylvania, and been active politically since the 1990 elections. His livelihood, until recently, was spent in automation engineering for a large global equipment manufacturing company, specializing in coal mining. WANB in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania hosted Schmidt's weekly talk radio program "Issues and Answers." His writing is intended to relate the headlines of today to the foundation of eternal truth - the Scriptures. He currently resides in Palm Beach County, Florida. Visit his website at: Inalienable-Rights.org

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