A Palestinian security officer stands behind a portrait of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Jenin, Nov. 10, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    By Saud Abu Ramadan

    GAZA, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Two years after late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's leaving from the world, pictures of him reoccurred in the Gaza streets on Friday, a day before a two-year anniversary for his death on Saturday, showing the Palestinians' yearning for the late leader.

    Abu Ibrahim Salama, a 65-year-old Gazan man, pointed a huge Arafat picture hanging in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) building and said, "Where are you? Where are your days? If you were here, our life would be better."

    In the overpopulated poor enclave, Gaza Strip, many Palestinians like Salama still miss their historic and symbolic leader Yasser Arafat and believe that if he was alive, they would not live in such a miserable situation.

    Ahmed Abu Ghazza, a 29-year-old fan of Arafat, told Xinhua that "When Arafat was alive, we were also under siege and Israeli daily offensives, but our life was going well."

    He attributed it to Arafat's political skills and tactics, saying that "if he (Arafat) was still alive, Hamas would never win in any legislative elections, because Arafat would never let them win."

    Palestinians faced formidable difficulties following Hamas won the legislative elections in January and thus given the mandate to form the current Hamas-led government in late March.

    Hamas regime was boycotted by Israel and the international community from the very beginning because the former's adherence to destruction of Israel.

    The international boycott and siege pushed the fledging Hamas government and the Palestinian people into dual plights of economy and politics.

    However, the Palestinians were not immediately conscious of the significance of Arafat until they witnessed deteriorating life conditions day by day after his pass-away.

    Palestinian observers believe that it because the Palestinians were too busy with other affairs to ponder the result of Arafat's leaving from the Palestinian life.

    They said, since Arafat's death in a French Hospital near Paris in Nov. 11, 2004, the Palestinians have been experienced too many changes, including electing a new leader to succeed Arafat, municipal elections, the Israeli unilateral disengagement plan, the legislative elections and a new government led by Hamas.

    But as time went by, the Palestinians began to be aware of what they lost with the death of Arafat, who was then given high evaluations and praises by the Palestinians from all circles.

    Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Friday that "We really don't want to turn the date of pass-away of the eternal leader Yasser Arafat into an anniversary only, because Arafat should be remembered all the time."

    He said that "Yasser Arafat had passed away, while massacres are committed everyday against our people. Yasser Arafat passed away, while our internal situation remains as difficult as it is, while Palestinian blood has been shed by Palestinian hands."

    Apart from Arafat's importance in politics, his personal enchantment also attracted a handful of adherents.

    Mohamed Ishtayya, a former minister of housing loyal to Arafat told Xinhua that "When I met him for the first time, I really felt so proud, because he gave me the impression that he knows me for along time."

    He added that "after I worked with him closely, I found that he can name almost everyone he met before even if they had met several years ago."

    "This is Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestinians that everyone is missing. Even in Israel, Israelis believe that he was the only man who could make peace with them," he concluded with pride.

    A day before the two-year anniversary of Arafat's death, the desperate Palestinians, who are living in economic and political crisis for months, expressed their missing for the late Palestinian leader.

    "I think Arafat was not only an elected president of the Palestinians, but also a leader with a special charisma," said Ahmed al-Jammali, a storekeeper in Gaza City.