Thomas Friedman: "The Arafat Voids"

Thomas Friedman's column in the Times today is one of the best, most honest assessments of Yasir Arafat's failings as a leader - and a much needed prescription for world leaders who would not - must not! - follow in his path:

Yasir Arafat preferred to die, beloved by all his people, in a Paris military hospital - rather than sacrifice his popularity and maybe his life so that the majority of his people could live and die at home. Will Ariel Sharon, George Bush and the Arab and Palestinian leaders now follow his model and play to the crowds, or play to history?