Big Mick is quite correct. There has never been a functioning democracy in the Palestinian Authority. In point of fact, there has never been a functioning democracy in any of the Arab countries.

Mousethief,

The implication I take from your post is that Arafat's authority should be respected because he is the "duly-elected leader of the Palestinian people." If that is the case, should our fathers and grandfathers also have respected the authority of the chancellor of Germany who was duly elected in a democratic election in 1933?