"This sympathy is not translated into force against the British government because it is not like the anti- apartheid movement which had a high profile here and Mandela is a more engaging figure than Yasser Arafat"

This quote by Tom Paulin is referring to the absence of assistance for the Palestinian cause in contrast to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Paulin is recommending that the Palestinian cause does not have the same level of assistance as the anti-apartheid motion due to the fact that Yasser Arafat is not as engaging a figure as Nelson Mandela. Paulin is indicating that the absence of compassion for the Palestinian cause is not equated into action against the British government due to the fact that of the absence of a high profile and a less engaging figure than Mandela. This suggests that the Palestinian cause is not as commonly supported as the anti-apartheid motion, and that the absence of a strong figurehead is a contributing factor to this. Paulin is highlighting the value of a strong token in order to gather support for a cause, and the absence of such a figure in the Palestinian cause is preventing it from getting the very same level of support as the anti-apartheid movement.