Unfortunately, little attention was paid to how Arafat ruled. In fact, some saw the harsh and repressive nature of Arafats regime as actually bolstering the prospects for peace. – Natan Sharansky

The central premise behind Oslo was that if Arafat were given enough legitimacy, territory, weapons and money, he would use his power to fight terror and make peace with Israel. – Natan Sharansky

To understand why dictators have a problem with making peace – or at least a genuine peace – the link between the nature of a regime and its external behavior must be understood. – Natan Sharansky