Give Arafat credit

Yasser Arafat as tough-minded political boss cracking down on Palestinian terrorists seems an incongruous image, but that roughly describes the latest step in his shift from Israel's enemy to its partner in peace. The chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization is now embarked on the administration of Gaza and Jericho, and he has made progress in establishing civil authority.

Mr. Arafat has also become a far more credible negotiating partner with Israel's prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin. Mr. Arafat's firmer governance is largely responsible for the recent progress toward extending Palestinian rule to major cities of the West Bank. As autonomy is expanded in the next months, the PLO's credit should further improve.

Mr. Arafat has not yet established a fully operational administration. He fails to delegate authority, cannot account for development aid and stifles a critical press. But on one of the principal prerequisites to the future of Palestinian autonomy, security, he has done more than many predicted. For that he deserves credit.

-- The New York Times