TEL AVIV Ñ Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, termed as not
completely stable, appears unimpressed with Israeli military might or U.S.
diplomatic pressure, a new study says.
A psychological profile prepared for the International Policy Institute
for Counter-Terrorism
says the Palestinian Authority chairman can be influenced by
economic pressure, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Spectacular military operations Ñ such as air strikes, massive fire
directed at targets in the areas of the Palestinian Authority Ñ have
a limited effect on Arafat," the report said. "He knows the limitations of
Israel's power and in situations of confrontation feels at his best, tends
to take risks, and is willing to make sacrifices, more so than in normal
circumstances."
The profile, authored by researchers Shaul Kimhi, Shmuel Even and
Jerrold Post, said Arafat's behavior comprises limited emotional
stability, rapid mood swings and a need to feel in complete control of his
environment. The study said the PA chairman does not tolerate dissent or
even constructive criticism.
"Arafat's interpersonal skills are characterized by problems with
relationships, stemming from his need to manipulate people, bringing them
closer or distancing them as needed," the report said. "He has neither
intimate relationships nor any close friends, and apparently feels no need
for them."
The profile said Arafat has no hobbies and does not engage in
entertainment. The
study dismisses reports in the 1970s that Arafat is a homosexual.
The profile recommended that Israel's military stage limited precision
operations. The study said this would undermine Arafat's sense of control.
Arafat, the study said, is also not affected by economic pressure on
Palestinians. The report said measures such as cutting off water or
electricity serve Arafat's aims of presenting Palestinian suffering to the
international community.
In contrast, economic pressure on Arafat can reap gains. The report said
withholding Israeli tax funds or ending international aid can be effective
if it continues over a long period.
"Money is one of the means through which Arafat wields control," the
report said. "These funds constitute the major bulk of the financial
resources of the Palestinian Authority and are required to finance the work
of administration and the security forces."
All three of the researchers have engaged in psychological profiles for
either Israel or the United States. Kimhi, a member of the American
Psychological Association and the International Society of Political
Psychology, was an adviser to Israeli military intelligence.
Even is a reserve colonel who served in the intelligence corps. Post, a
professor of psychiatry and political psychology, wrote psychological
profiles of the late Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat for U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
"It is very hard to predict his behavior, since it comes from a man
whose manner of thought and behavior is completely different from that
recognized and accepted in politics and business in the Western world, and,
on the other hand, it is difficult to know what his intentions truly are,"
the report said.
