Arrangements are made; some dignified guests are planning their travel; but the body is not cold enough to bury.

It all may go into motion by the time I have finished this letter, or it may take a few more days. Or even weeks. As far as this political scientist can tell from listening to the information and disinformation about the man's health, it depends on his heart, liver, and kidneys. The brain went kaput four years ago, and is just now getting around to signaling that it is dead.

Cynics have commented on several possibilities.

One is that death could not occur until the funeral and burials were planned and coordinated between Palestinian and Israeli authorities. Now that seems to have been done: plans are for a funeral ceremony at the Cairo airport, and burial alongside the Ramallah headquarters where he was confined for two and one-half years. Israel would not agree to a burial in Jerusalem, and it is arranging military and police in a way to prevent Palestinian enthusiasts from seizing the body and marching with it and some shovels in the direction of Jerusalem.

Another view is that Suha's financial demands must be met before she would agree to pull the plug on life supports. This morning's paper said she refused an offer of $2 million. Her comments two days ago about Palestinian politicians wanting to bury her husband alive received wide condemnation from Palestinian politicians and ordinary citizens. Today a Muslim religious authority visited Arafat, and declared that the plug could not be pulled on a man who is not yet dead. Suha's bargaining position has weakened, and we all may have to wait for the ceremonies.

Muslim commentators have been asked about Lailat-ul-Qadr, a holy day toward the end of Ramadan. By some views, one who has the good fortune to die on this day gains the status of a martyr, and lives in paradise alongside the Prophet. It would be a fitting time for Arafat to expire. But Lailat-ul-Qadr has come and gone without a clear announcement of death.

Id al Fitr is the next milestone. This is a three day festival of eating and gift-giving after the end of Ramadan, scheduled to begin in a couple of days. It's the Christmas season for Muslims and the merchants who serve them. Not good for celebration or business if it is a time for mourning. There is likely to be considerable pressure on Palestinian shopkeepers to close, perhaps for several days, when the chairman/president dies. One of my friends routinely shops at a Muslim greengrocer; my friend wants to do his shopping as normal this weekend, and the greengrocer wants the death postponed until after Id al Fitr so he can top up his cash drawer.

Aside from the commotion, and the inconvenience of one or another individual, will the death make a difference?

Israelis opposed to Sharon's withdrawal of Jewish settlements are urging a delay in the implementation of the plan. If reasonable Palestinians come to power, it may be possible to strike a deal with them that contributes to a wider accommodation. And if reasonable Palestinians do not come to power, the delay will be valuable in itself. Something may happen to Sharon (from a change in his thinking to something more drastic, like a fall of his government) that will remove withdrawal from the calendar.

Our endless talk shows have been filled with optimism. Something good may come out of the change in Palestinian leadership. It would be hard to be worse than Arafat. Sharon himself has been guarded. His line is that the Palestinians must demonstrate that they are willing to end the violence and the incitement before they will deserve far reaching Israeli gestures, like a release of some prisoners or the removal of the army from some towns. On the point of incitement, the initial signs are not all good. The Palestinian "foreign minister" conceded that French doctors found that Arafat had not been poisoned, but that he had suffered from more than two years in the poor conditions where he was confined by the Israelis. Palestinians militants are urging violent confrontations with the Israeli army in order to re-light the intifada.

Sharon has made one gesture. Against the advice of security personnel, he agreed to Arafat's burial in Ramallah. His grave will produce something like the Eifel Tower, Statue of Liberty, and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near what had been his headquarters. It will become it a site for pilgrims wishing to visit their hero's last site of heroism. For some Israelis, Sharon's agreement to burial in Ramallah was the least we could do for a national leader: the George Washington, Charles de Gaul, Mahatma Ghandi, and David ben Gurion of the Palestinians. Others view Arafat as Hitler's successor, fortunately much weaker

Will Sharon's gesture be enough to encourage peace making among the Palestinians who will climb to the top? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, the funeral and burial are on hold. The body is not ready.