ORDINARY PALESTINIANS may finally be catching on:

In a bid to re-establish his leadership along the war-ravaged West Bank, Mr. Arafat set out to tour three of the areas hardest-hit by a six-week Israeli military offensive.

But instead of adoring crowds, he found people grumbling with discontent and some openly criticizing his leadership. . . .

“Those who count the strokes are different from those who are being beaten,” scoffed Abdullah Issaid, a 34-year-old businessman. “All the Arab leaders have abandoned us and now it seems he too is abandoning us.”

Karina Bakleezey, a 64-year-old grandmother whose house was demolished last month in the Israeli invasion, wept in frustration.

“Our homes have been destroyed and we have lost our men,” she cried. “I want to tell him about my house and how my life has been destroyed. Now, only God can deliver us. I rely only on God.

“I am angry at the whole world,” she continued bitterly. “I am angry at the Arab countries more than the Jews. They just watched us while we tried to defend our land.”

Abdulla Nasharate, 34, pushed his way through the crowd, demanding to be heard.

“This is absurd,” he fumed. “He [Arafat] is responsible. A government that can’t protect its own people should not stay in power. Arafat should have come and stayed with us here, when he first got out. But he doesn’t come. I think he doesn’t care.”

I like the spin from an Arafat spokesthug, though:

“Many people came here and there was chaos,” Mr. Al Shati said. “If you love somebody, sometimes you can love him to death.”

Hmm. Puts a whole new slant on “Love thy enemy,” doesn’t it?

UPDATE: Hey, and look who’s backing Arafat now! Feel the love!