Arafat did not just “start[…] the 2nd intifada instead”. Israel wasn’t really negotiating in good faith, and was=–at that time–actively undermining the PLO and Fatah. There was a lot of shit that led up to the 2nd Intifada, and putting the blame on Palestinians, when Israel shoulders a lot of blame due to the actions of their hardliners, is simply historical revisionism. The very fact that Israel continued restricting movements of Palestinians, and weren’t–and aren’t–willing to dismantle settlements in the occupied West Bank are some of the direct causes. You’ve also got the provocation of PM Sharon (of Likud, the same party as Netanyahu) showing up to temple mount with an armed contingent that directly kicks off the Infitada.
Arafat did not just “start[…] the 2nd intifada instead”. Israel wasn’t really negotiating in good faith, and was=–at that time–actively undermining the PLO and Fatah. There was a lot of shit that led up to the 2nd Intifada, and putting the blame on Palestinians, when Israel shoulders a lot of blame due to the actions of their hardliners, is simply historical revisionism. The very fact that Israel continued restricting movements of Palestinians, and weren’t–and aren’t–willing to dismantle settlements in the occupied West Bank are some of the direct causes. You’ve also got the provocation of PM Sharon (of Likud, the same party as Netanyahu) showing up to temple mount with an armed contingent that directly kicks off the Infitada.