Five years after the death of their iconic leader Yasser Arafat Palestinians seem no closer to the dream of an independent state.

Almost five years to the day of his death, Arafat's successor, Mahmoud Abbas has publicly announced he is no longer interested in being the Palestinian president.

So what went wrong and what was Arafat's role in it?

Inside Story discusses with guests Jamal Nazzal, a Fatah member, Azzam Tamimi, an author on Hamas and a political analyst, and Uri Avnery, a writer and a former member of the Knesset. 

This episode of Inside Story aired from Thursday, 12 November, 2009.