"Please don't squeeze me too much with your questions, though," he laughingly warned the audience.

Faculty and students lined up to ask the leader about issues such as his use of the term jihad, holy war, to refer to efforts for reconciliation.

"You have to understand our terminology. I'm a civil engineer, I'm trying to learn all the terminologies," Arafat said, explaining the term was meant to illustrate his efforts to establish the state and its social elements.

Arafat also tried to answer a concern about a phrase in the Palestinian Covenant referring to the destruction of Israel.

Although the phrase still exists in the Covenant, Arafat said he has made efforts to change attitudes toward Israel.

"The Covenant had been written before my election to the PLO," Arafat said, adding that peace efforts have changed anti-Israel attitudes.

Arafat cited a 1988 conference in Algiers, where, for the first time, he accepted the establishment of two states, acknowledging Israel's right to exist.

"We are recognizing the state of Israel," Arafat said with emphasis.

"I will not deceive you," Arafat added. "I will not cancel what has been written in the Covenant. We will make amendments," he said, likening the process to the U.S. system of Constitutional amendments.

Arafat also addressed the problems in establishing a democratic system in Palestine.

"Ours is the most difficult democracy in the world," Arafat said. "It is a democracy in the jungle of guns. In spite of this, we are proud of our democracy."

Arafat said that he intends to hold election in January of next year.

One questioner raised the issue of the question of Jerusalem, which has been a major roadblock in the peace efforts.

Arafat said he supported the idea of a capital city representing the birth and center of three different religions.

"Jerusalem should be the capital for two states, without the Berlin Wall," Arafat said.