You know, I feel really bad about this, but Yassir Arafat does not look good. After emerging from a French hospital a couple of days ago, he looked battered to the point of retardation.

This man is no longer in any condition to lead his people, if reports are correct and the tapes are accurate.

For the Middle East, this might be good news -- at least in the eyes of the world community. While Israel and Palestine have battled for the last half of the 1900s, Arafat has shuffled through a handful of different Israeli leaders, while maintaining his leadership position.

Because of this, nothing ever gets resolved. It's impossible to build a relationship with a "dictator" (if I dare go that far) and make positive changes to a highly volatile region fraught with political, religious and economic unrest.

While Arafat was able to hold his positions and maintain his stance, different Israeli leaders - just as they begin to make progress for change - are shipped out of office and left to start over from scratch before anything gets done. This revolving door set against a stable, concrete faction of Palestine has impeded progress for years. As a result, death tolls have piled up and the region is suffocating in a giant bloodbath. This isn't to say that the Israelis aren't at fault, either.

So, we feel for Palestine and Arafat supporters, but we welcome a new leader. Perhaps something can finally change for the betterment of the region, and both peoples can pick up the pieces and build a foundation for the future.

Now is a great time for a fresh start.