Yasser Arafat was one of the Arab leaders who enjoyed personal relationships with Indian political leaders, especially with the Nehru-Gandhi family.
His love for India began a long time ago. Although he always carried a gun, he greatly admired Mahatma Gandhi who was considered an apostle of non-violence.
The late Palestinian leader described India's slain Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as his "unofficial sister". She took his help in negating what she described as Pakistan's efforts to lessen India's image in the Arab world.
Two weeks before her son Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Tamil terrorists, Mr. Arafat warned him that he had heard about a plot being hatched to kill him.