If that is the case, I don't blame him for this concern - the Pallies have shown themselves to be quite murderous, and quite disrespectful of others' religious sites. Yet, the Vatican could have also said nothing. In the present environment, Arafat's international apologists have to keep their mouths shut, so no one would really care if the Vatican said nothing. Arafat has more concerns than that right now, and saying nothing will get nobody massacred in this situation.