[CharlesWayneCT]

OK, I looked around a bit. I don't have lexus-nexus or anything. I got contemporary commentary from several sources. Apparently the reporting in 1995 wasn't any better than today. Some said he was invited, Some said he had tickets, one said the event was sponsored by a corporate donor, another by New York, some said he wasn't invited, some said he had no tickets. For example:

A NEW YORK INSULT TO MR. ARAFAT

He did not simply bar Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from a city-sponsored concert for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations -- a concert to which Mr. Arafat had been invited and given tickets. The mayor had his minions go into Lincoln Center after the concert had begun and dish Mr. Arafat further insult by removing him from the hall.

That was the Washington Post. It said he had been given tickets, but it says it was a city-sponsored concert.

Then there is this from Newsday: Giuliani's Snub: Shows No Control

BY THROWING YASSER Arafat out of a concert to which he held tickets, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani may have not only breached U.S. diplomatic protocol but also abused his authority.

The White House and the State Department have condemned the mayor for his "unfortunate" bad manners during the 50th anniversary of the UN. And it's no wonder: Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Arafat had produced an invitation, from the UN chief of protocol, to the New York Philharmonic concert, which itself was underwritten by a corporate sponsor and hosted by the mayor and the City Host Committee.

This one said he had a ticket, then said he had an invitation, and that it had corporate, not city, sponsorship.

I no longer though "know" the facts of the matter. Apparently everybody DOES get to have their own set of facts.

[SJackson]

As I understand it, no invitation for Yasser and his cronies, they were specifically excluded as were others. They showed up in the box of a UN official. Could the official have had an invite that said "and guest", or could the box have been for the diplomat and guests, sure. I do know that while Clinton made an issue over it, Arafat left without a peep.

IMO, it was a smart thing to do. Rudy had a better handle on Arafat's character than Baker, Bush I, or Clinton, and likely has a better handle on Abbas than GWB. As do Gingrich, Hunter and McCain.