RAMALLAH: The Arab establishment will bid farewell in Egypt, but his people will do so in Palestistinian. Michael Jansen reports.
Towers of black smoke from burning tyres rose over Ramallah early yesterday morning. The Israeli checkpoint at Kalandia, the gateway from Jerusalem to the West Bank, was deserted, streets were empty, shops shuttered.
The citizens of Kalandia, Ramallah and al-Bireh, wearied by the Ramadan fast and anxiety over the health of their President, were still at home in their beds after sitting in front of their television sets all night waiting for news from Paris.
The announcement of his death came at half past four in the morning. Few were awake to hear the proclamation.
Four hours later at the presidential compound, the muqata, on the edge of Ramallah the international media and a scattering of Palestinians were making their way down the slope to the main gate.
An old woman in long black dress, black cloak edged with white embroidery, her head covered in a black scarf, walked sedately down the slope. Her face was pale, tears glistened on her cheeks.
Halfway down, the media and a few other Palestinians had begun their vigil outside the gate. Palestinian flags hung limply at half-mast. Two giant flags were draped down the side of the bank of buildings behind the muqata.
The leadership was meeting inside, preparing for his funeral and completing the succession process begun two weeks ago when Mr Arafat was flown to France for treatment. The media and populace were kept at bay by soldiers in green uniforms and dark red berets.
As the gate opened to admit cars, we could glimpse bulldozers at work across the wide expanse of parking lot, clearing away the debris of the 2002 Israeli assault on the muqata, and spreading sand along the far wall.
Mr Arafat will be buried this afternoon in a temporary concrete tomb so his body could be moved to Jerusalem if and when the Palestinians establish their state and reclaim East Jerusalem as its capital.
It was Mr Arafat's wish to be interred in the holy city on the Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, claimed by Israel as the Temple Mount. Near the grave a small mosque will be erected to replace one blown up by the Israelis.
On the doorstep of a house across from the gate sat three shebab, lads, wearing jeans, T-shirts and black-and-white checked kuffiyas on their heads. They are students at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah and members of Mr Arafat's Fatah movement. Mr Khaled Salman said they had come early in the morning and would stay until Mr Arafat returned home.
"No one asked us to come. We want to be here, to show respect," he said.
Since many Palestinians have accused Egypt of hijacking the funeral by holding the official ceremony in Cairo. I asked if they minded that the religious service would be held there before Mr Arafat is flown by helicopter to the muqata.
Ahmad shrugged. "It is not nice for world leaders to go to Cairo, but they cannot come here because of the occupation. He will have a proper funeral here in Ramallah amongst his own people."
Television teams, photographers and reporters ambushed Palestinian personalties as they walked along the street outside the muqata. Dr Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Legislative Council, also commented on the decision to hold the official ceremony in Cairo.
"The Egyptians have a sense of closeness to the president and they feel they have to do him justice. The heads of state and dignitaries can go there to uphold his stature," she said.
Dr Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian citizen of Israel who had been an adviser to Mr Arafat for many years, observed: "Israel lost a great opportunity to negotiate with Arafat for a two-state solution [ involving] a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital living next to Israel. This is the only option for a solution."
Palestinians argue that no other leader has the respect or the popular appeal to make the compromises necessary to reach a solution.
I met Mrs Rawya Shawa, a legislator from Gaza and sharp critic of Mr Arafat's rule, in the lobby of the Grand Park Hotel.
"I know the value of Arafat as a national leader and his positive effect on Palestinian life," she said, "but I am not certain he left us a proper administration. Of course, he is not totally to blame. We also have the occupation, but he could have left us something better.
"He could have left us law and order. Without order there could be civil war."