Now that Idi Amin has vacated his Jeddah estate, the Saudi government should change the sheets and paint the walls in preparation for the next house guest: Yassir Arafat. The time is ripe to again seriously consider the exile of Arafat from Ramallah.

Since the US and Israel have chosen a moderate successor, the long held fear that any PA power vacuum would be filled by extremists is mitigated. There is no evidence that Arafat is supporting the current road map policies, on the contrary, he is often a roadblock to progress. A PA without Arafat would be more free to eradicate corruption; be easier on diplomacy in the region as envoy's visting Israel would not have to choose between Sharon and Arafat; and advance an effective war on terror without someone at the helm agitating and instigating.

As part of the Saudi peace plan, the boys from Riyadh should open their doors to an exiled Arafat, slipped into the country under the cloak of darkness as part of a joint US/Israel/Jordanian operation.