Arafat is possibly a cousin and definitely, was mentored by al Husseini himself, and he was supported by the Soviet Union which helped create and fund the PLO - this was one of the Cold War aspects of the conflicts in the Middle East. They were to some degree, including the Afghan wars, an element of the conflict between the NATO allies and the Soviet Union.

Struggles over resources, but also key waterways like the Suez Canal and land routes, like the Silk Road, all played out in the form of proxy wars in which the peoples of the Middle East/Central Asia and North Africa have been the victims.