NPC in History: Arafat’s moment of optimism

For years, Palestinian Liberation Organization President Yasser Arafat was denied a visa to come to Washington to accept the National Press Club’s invitation to speak at the Club. But that changed with the Oslo Peace Accords when Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the historic agreement with President Bill Clinton in a White House South Lawn ceremony.

Club President Clayton Boyce of the Knight-Ridder Tribune News Service issued an invitation for Arafat to speak on Sept. 14, 1993, the day after the signing. Arafat immediately accepted. In one of the fastest ticket sell-outs in Club history, Arafat spoke to a full house with television and radio reporters vying for position with photographers.

Instead of giving a regular speech, Arafat said he would speak extemporaneously for a few minutes, without an interpreter, and then field questions. “We want to speak from heart to heart,” he said.

Arafat talked of the “long march” to this moment and of the “pain and sacrifices” in casualties and material losses, of the decades of being stateless, homeless people “from our birth day to the grave.”

“We had the right to dream, and from the beginning we were dreaming to achieve peace in the land of peace,” Arafat said. “Yesterday was a historical moment, not for myself, but for my people and for the Israeli people. At last, we had done it.”

In the question-and-answer session that followed, Arafat called for economic support for the Palestinians and a swift implementation of the agreement. He spoke of the difficulties in determining how Jerusalem would be administered, calling it a “red line” for Arabs, for Israelis, for Christians and for Muslims. It would take, he said, long negotiations.

Not only must peace be found between Palestinians and Israelis, Arafat said, but also among competing Arab nations.

“It is a new era,” Arafat said. “We are making peace with our old enemies, the Israelis. We have to make peace with others, among ourselves. Enough is enough.”

President Boyce asked Arafat what he thought was a serious question: “Now that you have made peace with the Israelis, who do you consider your foe?”

Pondering that not even for a second and with his eyes twinkling under his checkered Kaffiyeh, Arafat shot back, “You.”

Boyce was speechless as the audience laughed. Arafat took Boyce’s hand in his and wrapped it around his arm as he laughed uproariously. “Do you know why?” he said. “He is quizzing me too much with his questions.”

As the laughter died down, Arafat said more seriously, “My enemy is the enemy of peace.”

You can watch the entire speech here.

This is another in a series provided by Club Historian Gil Klein. Dig down anywhere in the Club’s 110-year history, and you will find some kind of significant event in the history of the world, the nation, Washington and the Club itself. Many of these events were caught in illustrations that tell the stories.