Re: Lying is cultural trait of Arabs?
Well, first one has to consider the trait of all politicians to lie, which spans all cultures, and may also account for Arafat's behavior.
There are many cultures which, although scrupulously honorable with other members of their own culture, have no compunctions about cheating and lying to "outsiders." The Romany ("gypsy") culture has been described as such, but I don't know much more about it.