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Me too... I thought they were arguing about his burial place, though. I never thought about the money.


Arafat apparently embezzled 100% of Palestinian funds. When they needed money he would transfer some back, but he didn’t let Palestinian administration keep any funds themselves. Apparently the PLO/etc hasn't been able to make payroll since he went to France and has no money; apparently nobody knows where he kept the money or has any access to it.

The wrangling in France was over that money. His "wife", who hadn't bothered to visit him in several years, wants to keep it since it's presumably in his name, wherever it is. The Palestinians want it because it came from foreign aid to the Palestinians, and because they're broke.

Arafat's wife has some money but apparently not the entire piggy bank. It's not clear anyone knows where the Palestinian money is. Arafat was probably on life support so that he would tell someone before he died, and wrangling over who would see Arafat and who would be kept away was probably over who would and wouldn't hear any secrets he revealed.
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"If they can't picture me with a knife, forcing them to strip in an alley, I don't want any part of it. It's humiliating." - windsock