What now for the Middle East.

For more than 40 years, Yasir Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, has been the symbol of his people's desire for their own country. As JS went to press, Ararat, 75, was near death in a hospital in Paris, France. When he dies, he will leave many unanswered questions about the future of Palestine and whether peace with Israel is possible.

Ararat has no clear successor. Moderate Palestinians such as Mahmoud Abbas and Ahmad Qureia, the former and current Prime Ministers, are trying to create a smooth transition to new leadership. But deep divisions between Palestinian factions and fears of violence from militant groups such as Hamas threaten the transition.

"Everything depends on how the [new] Palestinian leadership leads, whether they touch the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people ... and break the deadlock with the Israelis," said Abu Amr, a Palestinian legislator.

Terrorist or Peacemaker?

Was Arafat a terrorist or a peacemaker? Because of such unanswered questions, Ararat never failed to inspire devotion, ridicule, or fury.

First, as head of the guerrilla organization Fatah, and then the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Arafat dedicated himself to armed struggle against Israel. Gradually, he began to seek peace, accepting Israel's right to exist. In 1993, he signed the first of the Oslo peace accords, winning the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

But soon, the process began to fall apart. While both sides stalled, critics said Ararat was more interested in holding on to power than controlling Palestinian terrorists. "I have never encountered such a lack of trustworthiness in my life," said American mediator General Anthony Zinni about Ararat.

In the end, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refused to negotiate with Arafat. The Israeli Army confined him to his West Bank compound. Still, many Palestinians revered him.

Without him, the future of the Middle East remains uncertain. "We will continue to work for a free Palestinian state that's at peace with Israel," said President Bush. But that goal, and history's ultimate judgment of Yasir Arafat, are likely to be unresolved for a long time.