Leadership Quote by Silvan Shalom

The line lands like a diplomatic shiv: it flips the standard narrative of “Israel versus the Palestinians” into “Israel versus one man.” By singling out Yasser Arafat as uniquely opposed to Palestinian independence, Silvan Shalom is trying to do two things at once. First, he implies Israel isn’t the obstacle to statehood; it’s the Palestinian leader who allegedly sabotages his own people’s aspirations. Second, he carves out a rhetorical path for Israel to claim pro-statehood bona fides while justifying hardline measures against the Palestinian Authority’s top figure.

The phrasing is engineered for delegitimization. “The only Palestinian in the world” is obvious exaggeration, but it’s purposeful: hyperbole that turns a complex national movement into a hostage situation, where millions are trapped by one stubborn gatekeeper. It reframes the conflict from territorial, legal, and historical disputes into a personality problem. That’s politically useful because personalities can be isolated, blamed, and replaced; structural issues can’t.

The subtext is also aimed at international audiences who want a tidy villain. If Arafat is the lone holdout, then pressure, sanctions, or even sidelining him becomes not escalation but “peace process maintenance.” Contextually, this fits an era when Israeli leaders argued there was “no partner” for peace, especially amid violence and failed negotiations. Shalom’s gambit is to preempt criticism: if Palestinian statehood isn’t happening, don’t look at settlements, borders, or sovereignty. Look at Arafat.