ياسر عرفات‎ Yasser Arafat (Yāsir `Arafāt) Kunya: Abu `Ammar ( أبو عمّار‎; 'Abū `Ammār)
1st President of the Palestinian National Authority
In office January 20, 1996 – November 11, 2004
Prime Minister	Mahmoud Abbas Ahmed Qurei
Succeeded by	Rawhi Fattuh (interim) Mahmoud Abbas
Born	August 24, 1929(1929-08-24) Cairo, Egypt[1]
Died	November 11, 2004 (aged 75) Paris, France
Nationality	Palestinian
Political party	Fatah
Spouse	Suha Arafat
Children	Zahwa Arafat

Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (محمد عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني‎) (August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat, was a Palestinian leader. A kunya ( كنية) is an Honorific widely used in place of Given names through the Arab world. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor The President of the Palestinian National Authority ( رئيس السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei (or Qureia; احمد علي محمد قريع also known by his Arabic ''Kunya'' Abu Alaa (أبو علاء (born March Rawhi Fattuh ( روحي فتوح, also transliterated as Rauhi Fattouh) (born 1949 is the former Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير Suha Daoud Arafat ( Arabic: سهى داود عرفات née Suha Daoud Tawil (سهى داود الطويل (born 17 July 1963) Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, President of the Palestinian National Authority,^[2] and leader of the secular Fatah political party, which he founded 1959. Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization is the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary The President of the Palestinian National Authority ( رئيس السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير ^[3] Arafat spent much of his life fighting against Israel in the name of Palestinian self-determination. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Self-determination is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and especially as the freedom of the people of a given Territory to determine their Originally opposed to Israel's existence, he modified his position in 1988 when he accepted UN Security Council Resolution 242. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967

Arafat and his movement operated from several Arab countries. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Fatah faced off with Jordan in a brief civil war. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern Forced out of Jordan and into Lebanon, Arafat and Fatah were major targets of Israel's 1978 and 1982 invasions of that country. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية The majority of the Palestinian people — regardless of political ideology or faction — viewed him as a freedom fighter and martyr who symbolized their national aspirations, many Israelis described him as a terrorist for the many attacks his faction led against civilians. Freedom fighter is a term to describe those that engage in a struggle to achieve freedom for themselves or to free others in some matter The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion ^[4]

Later in his career, Arafat engaged in a series of negotiations with the government of Israel to end the decades-long conflict between that country and the PLO. These included the Madrid Conference of 1991, the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 2000 Camp David Summit. The Madrid Conference was hosted by the government of Spain and co-sponsored by the USA and the USSR Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister His political rivals, including Islamists and several PLO leftists, often denounced him for being corrupt or too submissive in his concessions to the Israeli government. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only The Rejectionist Front (جبهة الرفض or Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender (جبهة القوى الفلسطينية الرافضة للحلول Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain In 1994, Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, for the negotiations at Oslo. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. During this time, Hamas and other militant organizations rose to power and shook the foundations of the authority Fatah under Arafat had established in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West

In late 2004, after effectively being confined within his Ramallah compound for over two years by the Israeli army, Arafat became ill and fell into a coma. See Muqata'ah for the Ottoman instrument for financing state expenses While the precise cause of death remains unknown, doctors spoke of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and cirrhosis, but no autopsy was performed. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP is the condition of having a low Platelet count ( Thrombocytopenia) of no known cause ( Idiopathic) Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic Liver Disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous Scar tissue as well as regenerative Arafat died on November 11, 2004 at the age of 75. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Birth and childhood 1.2 Education and 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1.3 Name 2 Rise of Fatah 2.1 Founding of Fatah 2.2 Leader of the Palestinians 2.3 Battle of Karameh 3 Jordan 4 Lebanon 4.1 Terrorist attacks in 1970s and official recognition 4.2 Fatah involvement in Lebanese Civil War 5 Tunisia 5.1 First Intifada 5.2 Change in direction 6 Palestinian Authority and peace negotiations 6.1 Oslo Accords 6.2 Establishing authority in the territories 6.3 Other peace agreements 7 Political survival 7.1 Relations with Hamas and other militant groups 7.2 Attempts to marginalize 8 Financial dealings 9 Illness and death 9.1 Poison and AIDS controversy 10 Aftermath 10.1 Burial 10.2 Successor 11 See also 12 Notes 13 Further reading 14 External links

Early life

Birth and childhood

Yasser Arafat was born in Cairo to Palestinian parents. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn ^[1][5] His father, Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini, was a Gazan; his mother – Yasser's paternal grandmother – was Egyptian. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Arafat's father worked as a textile merchant in Cairo's religiously mixed Sakakini District. El-Sakakini (Arabic السكاكيني; also spelled El-Sakkakini) is a small district (quarter in Cairo, Egypt that neighbours the El Arafat was the second-youngest of seven children and was, along with his younger brother Fathi, the only offspring born in Cairo. Fathi Arafat ( January 11, 1933 &ndash December 1, 2004) born in Cairo, was a Palestinian physician and His mother, Zahwa Abul Saud, was from a Jerusalem family, but she died from a kidney ailment in 1933, when Arafat was four years of age. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the ^[6]

Arafat's first visit to Jerusalem came when his father, unable to raise seven children alone, sent him and his brother Fathi to their mother's family in the Moroccan Quarter of the Old City. The Moroccan Quarter or Mughrabi Quarter ( Arabic حارة المغاربة Harat al-Maghariba) was an 800 year old neighborhood in the southeast corner The Old City (העיר העתיקה HaIr HaAtika, البلدة القديمة al-Balda al-Qadimah) is a 0 They lived there with their uncle Salim Abul Saud for four years. In 1937, their father recalled them to be taken care of by their older sister, Inam. Arafat had a deteriorating relationship with his father; when he died in 1952, Arafat did not attend the funeral. Neither did he visit his father's grave upon his return to Gaza. ^[6]

Education and 1948 Arab–Israeli War

In 1947, Arafat enrolled in the University of King Fuad I and graduated in 1950. Cairo University ( جامعة القاهرة, previously Egyptian University and later Fuʾād I University) is an institute of Higher education Cairo University ( جامعة القاهرة, previously Egyptian University and later Fuʾād I University) is an institute of Higher education ^[6] He later claimed to have sought a better understanding of Judaism and Zionism by engaging in discussions with Jews and reading publications by Theodor Herzl and other prominent Zionists. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut History of Zionism|Timeline of Zionism|World Zionist Organization|Zionist political violence Zionism is an international political movement that originally supported the PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Theodor Herzl (בנימין זאב הרצל ( Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl) (May 2 1860&ndashJuly 3 1904 was an Austrian Jewish journalist who founded modern ^[7] At the same time, he became an Arab nationalist and began procuring weapons to be smuggled into the former British Mandate of Palestine, for use by irregulars in the Arab Higher Committee and the Army of the Holy War militias. Arab nationalism ( Arabic: القومية العربية is a Nationalist ideology which rose to prominence amongst Arabs from the early 20th century onwards The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement Irregular military refers to any non-standard military Being defined by exclusion there is a lot of variance in what comes under the term The Arab Higher Committee was the central political organ of the Arab community of Palestine, established in 1936 The Army of the Holy War or Holy War Army ( Jaysh al-Jihad al-Muqaddas) was a force of Palestinian irregulars in the 1947-48 Palestinian ^[8] During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Arafat left the University and, along with other Arabs, sought to enter Palestine to join Arab forces fighting against Israeli troops. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Haganah ( Hebrew: "The Defense" ההגנה was a Jewish Paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine However, instead of joining the ranks of the Palestinian fedayeen, Arafat fought alongside the Muslim Brotherhood, although he did not join the organization. Palestinian fedayeen (from the Arabic fidā'ī, plural fidā'iyūn, فدائيون refers to Militants or Guerrillas of a nationalist The Muslim Brothers ( Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimūn, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان He took part in combat in the Gaza area (which was the main battleground of Egyptian forces during the conflict). The Egyptian Army See also Egyptian Army The armed forces inventory includes equipment from the United States, France, Brazil, the In early 1949, the war was winding down in Israel's favor, and Arafat returned to Cairo from a lack of logistical support. ^[6]

After returning to the University, Arafat studied civil engineering and served as president of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) from 1952 to 1956. Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built The General Union of Palestinian Students ( إتحاد الطلاب الفلسطينين العام) ( GUPS) is an organization run by Palestinian students During his first year as president of the union, the University was renamed Cairo University after a coup was carried out by the Free Officers Movement overthrowing King Farouk I. In Egypt, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement (Arabic حركة الضباط الأحرار was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating Farouk I of Egypt ( Arabic: فاروق الأول Fārūq al-Awwal) ‎ (February 11 1920 &ndash March 18 1965 was the tenth ruler from the Muhammad By that time, Arafat had graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and was called to duty to fight with Egyptian forces during the Suez Crisis; however, he never actually fought on the battlefield. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh ^[6] Later that year, at a conference in Prague, he donned a solid white keffiyeh – different from the checkered one he adopted later in Kuwait, which was to become his emblem. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. The keffiyeh (كوفية, plural ar كوفيات kūfiyyāt) shmagh, shemagh or yashmag (ar شماغ) (from Turkish The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed ^[9]

Name

Arafat's original full name was Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini. Mohammed Abdel Rahman was his first name; Abdel Raouf was his father's name and Arafat his grandfather's. Al-Qudwa was the name of his tribe and al-Husseini was that of the clan to which the al-Qudwas belonged. al-Qudwa, also spelled al-Qidwa, or al-Qudwah / al-Qidwah, ( Arabic: القدوة is a famous family of notables in the city of Gaza in It should be noted that Arafat's clan, al-Husseini was based in Gaza and should not be confused with the well-known, but unrelated, al-Husayni clan of Jerusalem. Husayni (also spelled Husseini) is the name of a prominent Palestinian clan formerly based in Jerusalem.

Since Arafat was raised in Cairo, the tradition of dropping the Mohammed or Ahmad portion of one's first name was common; notable Egyptians such as Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak did so. However, Arafat dropped also the Abdel Rahman and Abdel Raouf parts of his name as well. During the early 1950s, Arafat adopted the name Yasser, and in the early years of Arafat's guerrilla career, he assumed the nom de guerre of Abu Ammar. Both names are related to Ammar ibn Yasir, one of Muhammad's early followers. ˤAmmār ibn Yāsir (Arabic عمار بن ياسر is one of the most famous Sahaba and was among the Slaves freed by Abu Bakr. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Although he dropped most of his inherited names, he retained Arafat due to its significance in Islam. Mount Arafat or Mount Arafah ( Arabic: جبل عرفات transliterated Jabal 'Arafat) is a Granite Hill east of ^[6]

Rise of Fatah

Founding of Fatah

Following the Suez Crisis in 1956, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, a leader of the Free Officers Movement, agreed to allow the United Nations Emergency Force to establish itself in the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, causing the expulsion of all guerrilla or "fedayeen" forces there – including Arafat. The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President The first United Nations Emergency Force ( UNEF) was established by United Nations General Assembly to secure an end to the 1956 Suez Crisis with resolution The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Palestinian fedayeen (from the Arabic fidā'ī, plural fidā'iyūn, فدائيون refers to Militants or Guerrillas of a nationalist Arafat originally struggled to obtain a visa to Canada and later Saudi Arabia, but was unsuccessful in both attempts. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi ^[6][10] In 1957, he applied for a visa to Kuwait (at the time a British protectorate) and was approved, based on his work in civil engineering. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located There he encountered two Palestinian friends: Salah Khalaf (Abu Iyad) and Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), both official members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Salah Mesbah Khalaf ( Arabic صلاح خلف also known as Abu Iyad ( Arabic أبو إياد (born 1933 &ndash January 14, 1991) Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir ( خليل الوزير) also known by his kunya " Abu Jihad " (Arabic أبو جهاد — The Muslim Brothers ( Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimūn, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان Arafat had met Abu Iyad while attending Cairo University and Abu Jihad in Gaza. Both became Arafat's right-hand men in future politics. Abu Iyad traveled with Arafat to Kuwait in late in 1960; Abu Jihad, working as also a teacher, had been living there since 1959. ^[11] After settling in Kuwait, Abu Iyad helped Arafat obtain a temporary job as a schoolteacher. ^[12]

As Arafat began to develop friendships with other Palestinian refugees from Gaza (some of whom he knew also from his Cairo days), he gradually founded the group that became known as Fatah. The Palestinian flag ( علم فلسطين) was originally designed by Sharif Hussein for the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1916 The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير The exact date for the establishment of Fatah is unknown. However, in 1959, the group's existence was attested in the pages of a Palestinian nationalist magazine, Filastununa Nida al-Hayat (Our Palestine, The Call of Life), which was written and edited by the organization's founding members. ^[3] FaTaH is a reverse acronym of the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini which translates into "The Palestinian National Liberation Movement". Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير ^[12][13] Fatah is also a word that was used in early Islamic times to refer to 'conquest'. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history ^[12]

Fatah dedicated itself to the liberation of Palestine by an armed struggle carried out by the Palestinians themselves. This differed from other Palestinian political and guerrilla organizations, most of which firmly believed in a united Arab response. ^[12][14] Arafat's organization never embraced the ideologies of major Arab national governments of the time, in contrast to other Palestinian factions, which often became satellites of nations such as Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and others. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية ^[15]

In accordance with his ideology, Arafat generally refused to accept donations to his organization from major Arab governments, in order to act independently of them. However, he did not want to alienate them, and sought their undivided support by avoiding alliances with groups loyal to other ideologies. He worked hard in Kuwait, however, to establish the groundwork for Fatah's future financial support by enlisting contributions from the many wealthy Palestinians working there and other Gulf States, such as Qatar (where he met Mahmoud Abbas in 1961). The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are made of the kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the States Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President ^[16] These businessmen and oil workers contributed generously to the Fatah organization. Arafat continued this process in other Arab countries such as Libya and Syria. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab ^[12]

In 1962, Arafat and his closest companions immigrated to Syria — a country sharing a border with Israel — which had recently seceded from its ephemeral union with Nasser's Egypt. The United Arab Republic ( الجمهورية العربية المتحدة al-Jumhūrīyah al-‘Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah / al-Jumhūrīyah al-‘Arabīyah Fatah had approximately three hundred members by this time, but none were fighters. ^[12] In Syria, however, he managed to recruit members with a higher income to enable his armed struggle against Israel. Fatah's manpower was incremented further after Arafat decided to offer much higher salaries to members of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA), the regular military force of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which was created by the Arab League in the summer of 1964. The Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA was set up as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO in 1964 with the mission of fighting Israel. The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية On December 31 of that same year, a squad from al-Assifa, the armed branch of Fatah at the time, attempted to infiltrate Israel, but they were intercepted and detained by Lebanese security forces. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Al-Assifa (الاسيفة the Storm) was the mainstream armed wing of the Palestinian political party and militant group Fatah. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Several other raids with Fatah's poorly-trained and badly-equipped fighters followed this incident. Some were successful, others failed in their missions. Arafat often led these incursions personally. ^[12]

Arafat and his top aide Abu Jihad, were detained in Syria when a pro-Syrian Palestinian leader, Yusuf Orabi was murdered. Hours before he was killed, Arafat was discussing with him ways to unite their factions and to request Orabi's support for Arafat against his rivals within the Fatah leadership. Shortly after Arafat left the meeting, Orabi was thrown out of the window of a three-story building and Syrian police loyal to Hafez al-Assad (Assad and Orabi were "close friends"), suspected Arafat was involved in the incident. Hafez al-Assad (حافظ الأسد) ( October 6, 1930 &ndash June 10, 2000) was president of Syria, for three Assad appointed a panel, which found Arafat and Abu Jihad guilty of the murder. Nonetheless, both were pardoned by Syrian President Salah Jadid. Salah Jadid (1926? &mdash August 19, 1993, Arabic: صلاح جديد was a Syrian General and Political figure in the The incident, however, brought Assad and Arafat on unpleasant terms, which would show later when Assad became President of Syria. ^[12]

Leader of the Palestinians

On November 13, 1966, Israel launched a major raid against the Jordanian-administered West Bank town of as-Samu, in response to a Fatah-implemented roadside bomb attack, which had killed three members of the Israeli security forces near the southern Green Line border. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria This article details the Palestinian village in the West Bank for the French hospital-based emergency medical service see SAMU. Security forces in Israel include a variety of organizations including law enforcement, Military, Paramilitary, governmental The term Green Line is used to refer to the 1949 Armistice lines established between Israel and its neighbours ( Egypt, Jordan, In the resulting skirmish, scores of Jordanian security forces were killed and 125 homes razed. This raid was one of several factors that led to the 1967 Six Day War. Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt ^[17]

The Six Day war began when Israel launched a preemptive air strike against Egypt's air force on June 5, 1967. The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF (القوات الجوية المصرية) is the aviation branch of the Egyptian armed forces. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The war ended in Arab defeat and Israel's occupation of several Arab territories, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Although Nasser and his Arab allies had been defeated, Arafat and Fatah could claim a victory, in that the majority of Palestinians, who had up to that time tended to align and sympathize with individual Arab governments, now began to agree that a 'Palestinian' solution of their dilemma was indispensable. ^[18] Many primarily Palestinian political parties, including George Habash's Arab Nationalist Movement, Hajj Amin al-Husseini's Arab Higher Committee, the Islamic Liberation Front and several Syrian-backed groups, virtually crumbled after their sponsor governments' defeat. George Habash ( جورج حبش) also known by his kunya " al-Hakim " (Arabicالحكيم — the wise one or the doctor) The Arab Nationalist Movement ( Harakat al-Qawmiyyin al-Arab) also known as the Movement of Arab Nationalists and the Harakiyyin, was a Pan-Arab Mohammad Amin al-Husayni (محمد أمين الحسيني properly transliterated al-Husseini, 1895 / 1897 - July 4, 1974) a member The Arab Higher Committee was the central political organ of the Arab community of Palestine, established in 1936 Barely a week after the defeat, Arafat crossed the Jordan River in disguise and entered the West Bank, where he set up recruitment centers in Hebron, the Jerusalem area and Nablus, and began attracting both fighters and financiers for his cause. This article is about the Jordan River and its valley in western Asia Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem ^[18]

At the same time, Nasser contacted Arafat through Mohammed Heikal (one of Nasser's advisers) and Arafat was declared by Nasser to be the 'leader of the Palestinians'. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal ( Arabic:محمد حسنين هيكل born 1923 is a leading Egyptian Journalist. ^[19] In December, Ahmad Shukeiri resigned his post as PLO Chairman. Ahmad Shukeiri ( January 1 1908 – February 26 1980) (Arabic أحمد الشقيري also transcribed al-Shuqayri, Shuqeiri Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization is the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Yahya Hammuda took his place and invited Arafat to join the organization. Yahya Hammuda (يحيى حمودة) was the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO Executive Committee from 24 December 1967 Fatah was allocated 33 of 105 seats of the PLO Executive Committee while 57 seats were left for several other guerrilla factions. The Executive Committee (PLO EC is the highest executive body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc ^[18]

Battle of Karameh

Throughout 1968, Fatah and other Palestinian armed groups were the target of a major Israeli army operation in the Jordanian village of Karameh, where the Fatah headquarters — as well as a mid-sized Palestinian refugee camp — were located. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. al-Karameh (or simply Karameh) ( is a town in Jordan, near the Allenby Bridge which spans the Jordan River. al-Karameh (or simply Karameh) ( is a town in Jordan, near the Allenby Bridge which spans the Jordan River. Palestinian Refugee camps were established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War to accommodate Palestinian refugees who fled from the war The town's name is the Arabic word for 'dignity', which elevated its symbolic power in the eyes of the Arab people, especially after the Arab defeat in 1967. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The operation came hard upon attacks, including rockets strikes from Fatah and other Palestinian militias, within the occupied West Bank. According to Said Aburish, the government of Jordan and a number of Fatah commandos informed Arafat that large-scale Israeli military preparations for an attack on the town were underway, prompting fedayeen groups, such as George Habash's newly formed group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Nayef Hawatmeh's breakaway organization the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), to withdraw their forces from the town. Said K Aburish (سعيد أبو ريش (born 1935 Al-Eizariya) is a Palestinian Journalist and writer The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP) ( Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Tahrīr Nayef Hawatmeh ( kunya Abu an-Nuf, b 1935/37 in Salt, Jordan) is a Palestinian politician of Jordanian origin The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP ( Arabic: ' الجبهة الديموقراطية لتحرير فلسطين', transliterated Al-Jabha Though advised by a pro-Fatah Jordanian divisional commander to withdraw his men and headquarters to nearby hills, Arafat refused,^[18] stating, "We want to convince the world that there are those in the Arab world who will not withdraw or flee". ^[20] Aburish writes that it was on Arafat's orders that Fatah remained, and that the Jordanian Army agreed to back them if heavy fighting ensued. Royal Jordanian Land Force is part of the Jordanian Armed forces (JAF ^[18]

On the night of March 21, the IDF attacked Karameh with heavy weaponry, armored vehicles and fighter jets. Fatah (فتح literally opening, is a reverse Acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (حركة التحرير The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the elected Head of State of Egypt. Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization is the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. ^[18] Fatah held its ground, surprising the Israeli military. As Israel's forces intensified their campaign, the Jordanian Army became involved, causing the Israelis to retreat in order to avoid a full-scale war. ^[21] By the end of the battle, nearly 150 Fatah militants had been killed, as well as twenty Jordanian soldiers and twenty-eight Israeli soldiers. Despite the higher Arab death toll, Fatah considered themselves victorious because of the Israeli army's rapid withdrawal. ^[18] Arafat himself was on the battlefield, but the details of his involvement are unclear. However, his allies – as well as Israeli intelligence – confirm that he urged his men throughout the battle to hold their ground and continue fighting. The Mossad ( HaMossad leModi'in v'leTafkidim Meyuhadim) (המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים - Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations ^[22]

The battle was covered in detail by Time, and Arafat's face appeared on the cover of the December 13, 1968 issue, bringing his image to the world for the first time. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[23] Amid the post-war environment, the profiles of Arafat and Fatah were raised by this important turning point, and he came to be regarded as a national hero who dared to confront Israel. With mass applause from the Arab World, financial donations increased significantly, and Fatah's weaponry and equipment improved. The group's numbers swelled as many young Arabs, including thousands of non-Palestinians, joined the ranks of Fatah. ^[24]

At the Palestinian National Council in Cairo on February 3, 1969, Yahya Hammuda stepped down from his chairmanship of the PLO, and Arafat took over. The Palestinian National Council (PNC is the legislative body of the Palestine Liberation Organization and elects its Executive Committee which assumes leadership of the Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He became Commander-in-Chief of the Palestinian Revolutionary Forces two years later, and in 1973, became the head of the PLO's political department. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces ^[18]

Jordan

See also: Black September in Jordan

In the late 1960s, tensions between Palestinians and the Jordanian government increased greatly; heavily armed Arab resistance elements had created a virtual "state within a state" in Jordan, eventually controlling several strategic positions in that country. September 1970 is known as the Black September ( in Arab history and sometimes is referred to as the "era of regrettable events The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP ( Arabic: ' الجبهة الديموقراطية لتحرير فلسطين', transliterated Al-Jabha Nayef Hawatmeh ( kunya Abu an-Nuf, b 1935/37 in Salt, Jordan) is a Palestinian politician of Jordanian origin Kamal Nasser (1925&ndash April 9 / April 10, 1973) was a Palestinian writer poet and militant Amman (ɑˈmɑːn sometimes spelled Ammann ( Arabic عمان ʿAmmān) is the Capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom After their victory in the Battle of Karameh, Fatah and other Palestinian militias began taking control of civil life in Jordan. They set up roadblocks, publicly humiliated Jordanian police forces, molested women and levied illegal taxes — all of which Arafat either condoned or ignored. ^[20] King Hussein considered this a growing threat to his kingdom's sovereignty and security, and attempted to disarm the militias. Hussein bin Talal King of Jordan (حسين بن طلال Ḥusayn bin Ṭalāl) ( November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999) was However, in order to avoid a military confrontation with opposition forces, Hussein dismissed several of his anti-PLO cabinet officials, including some of his own family members, and invited Arafat to become Prime Minister of Jordan. The Prime Minister of Jordan is the head of the Government of Jordan. Arafat refused, citing his belief in the need for a Palestinian state with Palestinian leadership. Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently ^[25]

Despite Hussein's intervention, militant actions in Jordan continued. Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir ( خليل الوزير) also known by his kunya " Abu Jihad " (Arabic أبو جهاد — Gamal Abdel Nasser (جمال عبد الناصر Gamāl ‘Abd an-Nāṣir; - January 15 1918 September 28 1970) was the second President Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية On September 15, 1970, the PFLP hijacked five planes and landed three of them at Dawson's Field, located 30 miles (48 km) east of Amman. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP) ( Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Tahrīr In the Dawson's Field hijackings (September 6 1970 four Jet aircraft bound for New York City were hijacked by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation Amman (ɑˈmɑːn sometimes spelled Ammann ( Arabic عمان ʿAmmān) is the Capital city of the Hashemite Kingdom After the passengers were moved to other locations, three of the planes were blown up. This tarnished Arafat's image in many western nations, including the United States, who held him responsible for controlling Palestinian factions that belonged to the PLO. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[26] Arafat, bowing to pressure from Arab governments, publicly condemned the hijackings and suspended the PFLP from any guerrilla actions for a few weeks. (He had taken the same action after the PFLP attacked Athens Airport. Athens Airport may refer to Athens International Airport in Athens Greece (IATA ATH ICAO LGAV ) The Jordanian government moved to regain control over its territory, and the next day, King Hussein declared martial law. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice ^[25] On the same day, Arafat became supreme commander of the PLA. ^[27]

As the conflict raged, other Arab governments attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution. As part of this effort, Gamal Abdel Nasser led the first ever emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on September 21. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Arafat's speech drew sympathy from attending Arab leaders. Other heads of state took sides against Hussein, among them Muammar al-Gaddafi, who mocked him and his schizophrenic father King Talal. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi 1 (معمر القذافي) (born 7 June 1942) also known as Colonel Gaddafi Talal I bin Abdullah King of Jordan ( Arabic: طلال بن عبد الله Ṭalāl ibn `Abd Allāh) born February 26, 1909 The attempt to establish a peace agreement between the two sides failed. Nasser died of a massive heart attack hours after the summit. ^[25]

By September 25, the Jordanian army achieved dominance, and two days later Arafat and Hussein agreed to a ceasefire in Amman. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France The Jordanian army inflicted heavy casualties on the Palestinians — including civilians — who suffered approximately 3,500 fatalities. ^[27] After repeated violations of the ceasefire from both the PLO and the Jordanian Army, Arafat called for the King Hussein to be toppled. Responding to the threat, in June 1971, Hussein ordered his forces to oust all remaining Palestinian fighters in northern Jordan — which they accomplished. Arafat and a number of his forces, including two high-ranking commanders, Abu Iyad and Abu Jihad, were forced into the northern corner of Jordan. Salah Mesbah Khalaf ( Arabic صلاح خلف also known as Abu Iyad ( Arabic أبو إياد (born 1933 &ndash January 14, 1991) Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir ( خليل الوزير) also known by his kunya " Abu Jihad " (Arabic أبو جهاد — They relocated near the town of Jerash, near the border with Syria. Overview Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity is the capital With the help of Munib Masri, a pro-Palestinian Jordanian cabinet member, and Fahd al-Khomeimi, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, Arafat managed to enter Syria with nearly two thousand of his fighters. Munib al-Masri ( منيب المصري) (1934- is a member of the Palestine Central Council and former Jordanian Cabinet Minister. However, due to the hostility of relations between Arafat and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad (who had previously ousted President Salah Jadid), the Palestinian fighters crossed the border into Lebanon to join PLO forces in that country, where they set up their new headquarters. Hafez al-Assad (حافظ الأسد) ( October 6, 1930 &ndash June 10, 2000) was president of Syria, for three Salah Jadid (1926? &mdash August 19, 1993, Arabic: صلاح جديد was a Syrian General and Political figure in the ^[28]

Lebanon

Terrorist attacks in 1970s and official recognition

Because of Lebanon's weak central government, the PLO was able to operate virtually as an independent state. Unrelenting Israeli pressure on that territory ^[29] was designed both to turn the Lebanese population against the PLO and compel the government to suppress the guerillas. During this time in the 1970s, numerous leftist PLO groups appeared on the armed front against Israel, carrying out attacks against civilian and military targets both within Israel and outside of it.

Two major incidents occurred in 1972. The Fatah subgroup Black September hijacked a Sabena flight en route to Vienna and forced it to land at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, Israel. The Black September Organization (منظمة أيلول الأسود munazzamat aylul al-aswad) was a Palestinian militant group founded in 1970 On May 8 1972 a passenger Aircraft of the Belgian airline company Sabena Boeing 707 that was in flight from Vienna to Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Ben Gurion International Airport (נמל התעופה בן גוריון Namal HaTe'ūfa Ben Gūryōn,, also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag (נתב"ג Lod (לוֹד اَلْلُدّْ al-Ludd; Greco-Latin Lydda) is a mixed Arab - Jewish city about 15 km southeast of Tel Aviv in ^[30] The PFLP and the Japanese Red Army carried out a shooting rampage at the same airport, killing twenty-four civilians. The was a Terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu in February 1971 after she broke away from the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction The Lod Airport massacre was a terrorist attack that occurred on May 30, 1972, in which three members of the Japanese Red Army, on behalf of ^[30][31] Israel later claimed that the assassination of PFLP spokesman Ghassan Kanafani was a response to the PFLP's involvement in masterminding the latter attack. Ghassan Kanafani (غسان كنفاني April 9, 1936 in Akka, Palestine – July 8, 1972 in Beirut, Lebanon Two days later, various PLO factions retaliated by bombing a bus station, killing eleven civilians. ^[30]

At the Munich Olympic Games, Black September kidnapped and killed eleven Israeli athletes. The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was ^[32] A number of sources, including Mohammed Oudeh (Abu Daoud), one of the masterminds of the Munich massacre, and Benny Morris, a prominent Israeli historian, have stated that Black September was an armed branch of Fatah used for paramilitary operations. Mohammad Oudeh (محمد عودة commonly known as Abu Daoud (أبو داود was the leader of the Black September, the Palestine Liberation Organisation The Munich massacre occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken Benny Morris (born 1948 is an Israeli historian identified with the New Historians school a group of Historians who dispute the traditional Israeli According to Abu Daoud's 1999 book, "Arafat was briefed on plans for the Munich hostage-taking. "^[33] The killings were internationally condemned. In 1973–74, Arafat closed Black September down, ordering the PLO to withdraw from acts of violence outside Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. ^[34]

In 1974, the PNC approved the Ten Point Program (drawn up by Arafat and his advisers), and proposed a compromise with the Israelis. The Arab League ( الجامعة العربية) officially called the League of Arab States ( جامعة الدول العربية Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the The Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO) (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary It called for a Palestinian national authority over every part of "liberated Palestinian territory",^[35] which refers to areas captured by Arab forces in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (present-day West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip). East Jerusalem refers to the part of Jerusalem captured by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and subsequently by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. This caused discontent among several of the PLO factions; the PFLP, DFLP and other parties formed a breakaway organization, the Rejectionist Front. The Rejectionist Front (جبهة الرفض or Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender (جبهة القوى الفلسطينية الرافضة للحلول ^[36]

Israel and the US have alleged also that Arafat was involved in the 1973 Khartoum diplomatic assassinations, in which five diplomats and five others were killed. The Khartoum diplomatic assassinations were the killing of three Western diplomats held hostage between 1 March 1973 and 3 March 1973 in the A 1973 United States Department of State document, declassified in 2006, concluded "The Khartoum operation was planned and carried out with the full knowledge and personal approval of Yasser Arafat. "^[37] Arafat denied any involvement in the operation and insisted it was carried out independently by the Black September group. Israel claimed that Arafat was in ultimate control over these organizations and therefore had not abandoned terrorism. ^[38]

In the same year, the PLO was declared the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and admitted to full membership of the Arab League at a Rabat summit. Rabat ( Arabic الرباط, transliterated ar-Rabāṭ or ar-Ribāṭ) population 2 million ( 2007 estimate) is the ^[36] Arafat became the first representative of a non-governmental organization to address a plenary session of the UN General Assembly. Plenary session is a term often used in conferences to define the part of the conference when all members of all parties are in attendance Membership For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly see General Assembly members In his United Nations address, Arafat condemned Zionism, but said, "Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand. "^[39] His speech increased international sympathy for the Palestinian cause. ^[36]

Fatah involvement in Lebanese Civil War

See also: Lebanese Civil War

Although hesitant at first to take sides in the conflict, Arafat and Fatah played an important role in the Lebanese Civil War. The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990 was a multifaceted Civil war whose antecedents can be traced back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end South Lebanon redirects here For other uses see South Lebanon (disambiguation. The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990 was a multifaceted Civil war whose antecedents can be traced back to the conflicts and political compromises reached after the end Succumbing to pressure from PLO sub-groups such as the PFLP, DFLP and the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), Arafat aligned the PLO with the Communist and Nasserist Lebanese National Movement (LNM). The Palestine Liberation Front (PLF (جبهة التحرير الفلسطينية is a Palestinian militant group which is designated as a Terrorist organization Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Nasserism is an Arab nationalist Political ideology based on the thinking of the former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Lebanese National Movement (LNM ( Arabic: الحركة الوطنية اللبنانية) was a front of parties and organizations active during the early years The LNM was led by Kamal Jumblatt, who had a friendly relationship with Arafat and other PLO leaders. Kamal Jumblatt ( كمال جنبلاط); ( December 6, 1917 – March 16, 1977) was an important Lebanese Politician Although originally aligned with Fatah, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad feared a loss of influence in Lebanon and switched sides. This page lists presidents and other Heads of State of Syria. Hafez al-Assad (حافظ الأسد) ( October 6, 1930 &ndash June 10, 2000) was president of Syria, for three He sent his army, along with the Syrian-backed Palestinian factions of as-Sa'iqa and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) led by Ahmad Jibril to fight alongside the radical right-wing Christian forces against the PLO and the LNM. As-Sa'iqa (also transliterated as al-Saika, Saeqa, etc from Arabic: الصاعقة meaning storm or thunderbolt; also The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين - القيادة Ahmed Jibril (أحمد جبريل born c 1938 is the founder and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command The primary components of the Christian front were the Maronite Phalangists loyal to Bachir Gemayel and the Tigers Militia — which was led by Dany Chamoun, a son of former President Camille Chamoun. Maronites ( الموارنة,, Syriac: ܡܪܘܢܝܐ, Latin: Ecclesia Maronitarum) are members of one of the Syriac The Lebanese Kataeb Party ( Arabic: الكتائب اللبنانية Kataeb is the Plural of Katiba which is a translation into Arabic of the Greek word Bachir Gemayel ( 10 November 1947 – 14 September 1982) (also known as Sheikh Bachir Gemayel first name also spelled The Tigers ( Arabic, numūr, Al Noumour was the military wing of the National Liberal Party (NLP during the Lebanese Civil War. Dany Chamoun (داني شمعون ( August 26, 1934 – October 21, 1990) was a prominent Lebanese politician This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 Camille Nimr Chamoun ( Arabic: كميل نمر شمعون Kamīl Sham'ūn) (b ^[40]

In February 1975, the Tigers shot an important pro-Palestinian Lebanese MP, Ma'arouf Sa'ad, founder of the Popular Nasserite Organization. ^[41] His death, from his wounds, the following month, and the murder in April of that year of twenty-seven Palestinians and Lebanese travelling on bus from Sabra and Shatila to the Tel al-Zaatar refugee camp by Phalangist forces, precipitated the Lebanese Civil War. The Bus Massacre (also known as the Ain El Remmaneh incident or Massacre is commonly presented as the spark that set off the Lebanese Civil War. The Shatila refugee camp (مخيم شاتيلة (also Chatila refugee camp) is a long-term Refugee camp for Palestinian refugees set up by UNRWA ^[42] Arafat was reluctant to respond with force, but many other Fatah and PLO members felt otherwise. ^[20] For example, the DFLP carried out several attacks against the Lebanese Army. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF' ( Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية al-Quwa'at al-Musalha al-Lubna'ani In 1976, an alliance of Christian militias with the backing of the Lebanese and Syrian Army besieged Tel al-Zaatar camp in east Beirut. The President of Syria is commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces comprising some 400000 troops upon mobilization Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 ^[43][44] The PLO and LNM retaliated by attacking the town of Damour, a Phalangist stronghold. The Damour massacre took place on 20 January, 1976 during the 1975 &ndash 1990 Lebanese Civil War. Over 330 people were killed and many more wounded. ^[43] The Tel al-Zaatar camp fell to the Christians after a six-month siege, and a massacre followed in which thousands of Palestinians were killed. The Tel al-Zaatar Massacre (مذبحة تل الزعتر took place during the Lebanese Civil War on August 12, 1976. ^[45] Arafat and Abu Jihad blamed themselves for not successfully organizing a rescue effort. ^[40]

PLO cross-border raids against Israel grew somewhat during the late 1970s. One of the most severe — known as the Coastal Road massacre — occurred on March 11, 1978. Avivim school bus massacre The Coastal Road Massacre of 1978 was a Palestinian hijacking and subsequent shootout with Israeli forces involving an inter-city bus driving Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) A force of nearly a dozen Fatah fighters landed their boats near a major coastal road connecting the city of Haifa with Tel Aviv-Yafo. Haifa (חֵיפָה; حَيْفَا) is the largest City in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country with Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel There they hijacked a bus and sprayed gunfire inside and at passing vehicles, killing thirty-seven civilians. ^[46][47] In response, the IDF launched Operation Litani three days later, with the goal of taking control of Southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. Background See also Israel-Lebanon conflict Though it took the form of an Israeli military incursion into Southern Lebanon, Operation Litani was grounded The Litani River (نهر الليطاني transliterated: Nahr al-Līţānī classical name Leontes is an important waterway in southern Lebanon The IDF achieved this goal, and Arafat withdrew PLO forces north into Beirut. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 ^[48]

After Israel withdrew from Lebanon, cross-border hostilities between PLO forces and Israel continued, though from August 1981 to May 1982, the PLO adopted a unilateral policy of refraining from responding to provocations^[49]. The Israeli invasion of 1982 was designed, according to some sources, to crush Palestinian national aspirations by uprooting their forces from proximity to the West Bank^[50]. Beirut was soon besieged and bombarded by the IDF;^[40] Arafat declared the city to be the "Hanoi and Stalingrad of the Israeli army. Hanoi ( Vietnamese: Hà Nội Hán Tự: 河[[wikt 内|内]], estimated population 3398889 (2007, is the Capital of Vietnam "^[40] The Civil War's first phase ended and Arafat — who was commanding Fatah forces at Tel al-Zaatar — narrowly escaped with assistance from Saudi and Kuwaiti diplomats. ^[51] Towards the end the siege, the US and European governments brokered an agreement guaranteeing safe passage for Arafat and the PLO — guarded by a multinational force of eight hundred US Marines supported by the US Navy — to exile in Tunis. Tunis ( Arabic: تونس Tūnis) is the Capital of the Tunisian Republic and also the Tunis ^[40]

Arafat returned to Lebanon a year after his eviction from Beirut, this time establishing himself in the northern city of Tripoli. Tripoli ( Lebanese Arabic: طرابلس Ṭrāblos or Ṭrēblos locally Ṭrōbles Standard Arabic: Ṭarābulus Τρίπολις Tripolis is the second-largest This time Arafat was expelled by a fellow Palestinian working under Hafez al-Assad. Arafat did not return to Lebanon after his second expulsion, though many Fatah fighters did. ^[40]

Tunisia

Arafat and Fatah's center for operations was based in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, until 1993. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. In 1985 he narrowly survived an Israeli assassination attempt when Israeli Air Force F-15s bombed his headquarters there as part of Operation Wooden Leg, leaving 73 people dead. The Israeli Air Force ( IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm" commonly known as חיל Operation Wooden Leg (מבצע רגל עץ Mivtza Regel Etz) was the Israeli Codename for an Israeli Air Force raid on the Palestine Arafat had gone out jogging that morning. ^[52]

First Intifada

During the 1980s, Arafat received financial assistance from Libya, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which allowed him to reconstruct the badly-battered PLO. This was particularly useful during the First Intifada in December 1987, which began as an uprising of Palestinian youth against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The First Intifada (1987–1993 (also " Intifada " and "war of the stones" was a mass Palestinian uprising against Israeli The word Intifada in Arabic is literally translated as "tremor", however, it is generally defined as an uprising or revolt. ^[53]

The first stage of the Intifada was a response to an incident at the Erez checkpoint where an Israeli military vehicle hit a group of Palestinian laborers, killing four of them. The Erez Crossing (מעבר ארז is a pedestrian/ Cargo terminal on the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier. However, within weeks and partly upon consistent requests by Abu Jihad, Arafat attempted to direct the uprising, which lasted until 1992–93. Abu Jihad had previously been assigned the responsibility of the Palestinian territories within the PLO command and according to biographer Said Aburish, had "impressive knowledge of local conditions" in the Israeli-occupied territories. Said K Aburish (سعيد أبو ريش (born 1935 Al-Eizariya) is a Palestinian Journalist and writer The are the territories captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967 consisting of the West On April 16, 1988, as the Intifada was raging, Abu Jihad was assassinated in his Tunis household, allegedly by an Israeli hit squad. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir ( خليل الوزير) also known by his kunya " Abu Jihad " (Arabic أبو جهاد — Arafat considered Abu Jihad a PLO counterweight to local Palestinian leadership, and led a funeral procession for him in Damascus. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. ^[53]

The most common tactic used by Palestinians during the Intifada was throwing stones at IDF tanks, which became a symbol of the uprising. The local leadership in some West Bank towns commenced non-violent protests against Israeli occupation by engaging in tax resistance and other boycotts. Beit Sahour (بيت ساحور pronounced) is a Palestinian town administered by the Palestinian Authority, situated to the east of Bethlehem. Israel responded by confiscating large sums of money in house-to-house raids. ^[53][54] As the Intifada came to a close, new armed Palestinian groups — in particular Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) — began targeting Israeli civilians with the new tactic of suicide bombing and internal fighting amongst the Palestinians increased dramatically. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين - Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons ^[53]

Change in direction

On November 15, 1988, the PLO proclaimed the independent State of Palestine. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently In speeches on December 13 and December 14, Arafat accepted UN Security Council Resolution 242, Israel's right "to exist in peace and security" and repudiated 'terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism'. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967 ^[55][56] Arafat's statements were greeted with approval by the US administration, which had long insisted on these statements as a necessary starting point for official discussions between the US and the PLO. These remarks from Arafat indicated a shift away from one of the PLO's primary aims — the destruction of Israel (as in the Palestinian National Covenant) – and toward the establishment of two separate entities: an Israeli state within the 1949 armistice lines, and an Arab state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian National Covenant or Palestinian National Charter (الميثاق الوطني الفلسطيني transliterated: al-Mithaq al-Watani al-Filastini On April 2, 1989, Arafat was elected by the Central Council of the Palestine National Council, the governing body of the PLO, to be the president of the proclaimed State of Palestine. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) ^[53]

Prior to the Gulf War in 1990-91, when the Intifada's intensity began to wear down, Arafat supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait and opposed the US-led coalition attack on Iraq. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed He made this decision without the consent of other leading members of Fatah and the PLO. Arafat's top aide Abu Iyad vouched to stay neutral and opposed an alliance with Saddam. Abu Iyad was assassinated on January 17, 1991 by the pro-Iraqi Abu Nidal Organization. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Abu Nidal (أبو نضال (May 1937&ndashAugust 16 2002 born Sabri Khalil al-Banna, (Arabic صبري خليل البنا was a Palestinian political leader Arafat's decision also severed relations with Egypt and many of the oil-producing Arab states that supported the US-led coalition. Many in the US also used Arafat's position as a reason to disregard his claims to being a partner for peace. After the end of hostilities, many Arab states that backed the coalition cut off funds to the PLO and began providing financial support for the organization's rival Hamas as well as other Islamist groups. ^[53]

In 1990, Arafat married Suha Tawil, a Palestinian Christian when he was 61 and Suha, 27. Suha Daoud Arafat ( Arabic: سهى داود عرفات née Suha Daoud Tawil (سهى داود الطويل (born 17 July 1963) The Palestinian Christians are Palestinians who follow Christianity. Suha converted to Islam before marrying him. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Before their marriage, she was working as a secretary for Arafat in Tunis after her mother introduced her to him in France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. ^[57][58] Prior to Arafat's marriage, he adopted fifty Palestinian war orphans. An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up ^[59]

Arafat narrowly escaped death again on April 7, 1992, when his aircraft crash-landed in the Libyan Desert during a sandstorm. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Libyan Desert (24 degrees North 25 degrees East (الصحراء الليبية is an African Desert that is located in the northern and eastern part of the Two pilots and an engineer were killed; Arafat was bruised and shaken. ^[60]

Palestinian Authority and peace negotiations

Oslo Accords

In the early 1990s, Arafat and leading Fatah officials engaged the Israeli government in a series of secret talks and negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Israeli-Palestinian conflict The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles ^[61][38] The agreement called for the implementation of Palestinian self-rule in portions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a five year period, along with an immediate halt to and gradual removal of Israeli settlements in those areas. The accords called for a Palestinian police force to be formed from local recruits and Palestinians abroad, to patrol areas of self-rule. Authority over the various fields of rule, including education and culture, social welfare, direct taxation and tourism, would be transferred to the Palestinian interim government. "Social welfare" redirects here For other uses see Welfare A social welfare provision refers to any program which seeks to provide The term direct tax has more than one meaning a colloquial meaning and in the United States a constitutional law meaning Both parties agreed also on forming a committee that would establish cooperation and coordination dealing with specific economic sectors, including utilities, industry, trade and communication. ^[62][63]

Prior to signing the accords, Arafat — as Chairman of the PLO and its official representative — signed two letters renouncing violence and officially recognizing Israel. In return, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, on behalf of Israel, officially recognized the PLO. ^[64]

The following year, Arafat and Rabin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Shimon Peres. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor (שמעון פרס born Szymon Perski on August 2 1923, is the ninth President of the State of Israel. ^[65] The Palestinian reaction was mixed. The Rejectionist Front of the PLO allied itself with Islamists in a common opposition against the agreements. The Rejectionist Front (جبهة الرفض or Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender (جبهة القوى الفلسطينية الرافضة للحلول It was rejected by also Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan as well as by many Palestinian intellectuals and the local leadership of the Palestinian territories. However, the inhabitants of the territories generally accepted the agreements and Arafat's promise for peace and economic well-being. ^[66]

Establishing authority in the territories

In accordance with the terms of the Oslo agreement, Arafat was required to implement PLO authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He insisted that financial support was imperative to establishing this authority and needed it to secure the acceptance of the agreements by the Palestinians living in those areas. However, the Gulf Arab States — Arafat's usual source for financial backing — still refused to provide him and the PLO with any major donations because of his sympathy for Iraq during the Gulf War, in 1991. ^[66] Ahmed Qurei — a key Fatah negotiator during the negotiations in Oslo — openly announced that the PLO was bankrupt. Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei (or Qureia; احمد علي محمد قريع also known by his Arabic ''Kunya'' Abu Alaa (أبو علاء (born March ^[67]

In 1994, Arafat moved to Gaza City, one of the territories controlled by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) — the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords. Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. ^[65] Arafat became the President and Prime Minister of the PNA, the Commander of the PLA and the Speaker of the PLC. The President of the Palestinian National Authority ( رئيس السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) is the highest-ranking political position (equivalent to The Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority is the Head of government of the Palestinian government The Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA was set up as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO in 1964 with the mission of fighting Israel. The Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council is the chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council. The Palestinian Legislative Council (sometimes referred to as the Palestinan Parliament) the Legislature of the Palestinian Authority, is a Unicameral In July, after the PNA was declared the official government of the Palestinians, the Basic Laws of the Palestinian National Authority was published,^[68] in three different versions by the PLO. A proposed Constitution of Palestine was first adopted in 1968 Arafat proceeded with creating a structure for the PNA. He established an executive committee or cabinet composed of twenty members. The Executive Committee (PLO EC is the highest executive body of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO Arafat also took the liberty to replace and assign mayors and city councils for major cities such as Gaza and Nablus. Nablus ( sometimes Nābulus; Arabic:; næːblʊs is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem He began subordinating non-governmental organizations that dealt in education, health, and social affairs under his authority by replacing their elected leaders and directors with PNA officials loyal to him. He then appointed himself chairman of the Palestinian financial organization that was created by the World Bank to control most aid money towards helping the new Palestinian entity. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e ^[66]

Arafat established a Palestinian police force, named the Preventive Security Service (PSS), that became active on May 13. The Preventive Security Service ( الأمن الوقائي) is the official security apparatus of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. It was mainly composed of PLA soldiers and foreign Palestinian volunteers. Arafat assigned Mohammed Dahlan and Jibril Rajoub to head the organization. Mohammed Dahlan ( محمد دحلان) also known by the kunya or nom de guerre Abu Fadi, is a Palestinian politician the leader Jibril Rajoub (born 1953) served as the National Security Advisor for the Preventive Security Service during the Arafat administration. ^[66] Amnesty International accused Arafat and the PNA leadership for failing to adequately investigate abuses by the PSS (including torture and unlawful killings) of political opponents and dissidents as well as the arrests of human rights activists. Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a Western based international Non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to ^[69] On July 24, 1995, Arafat's wife Suha gave birth to a daughter in Sorbonne, France. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. She was named Zahwa after Arafat's deceased mother. ^[58]

Throughout November-December 1995, Arafat toured dozens of Palestinian cities and towns that were evacuated by Israeli forces including Jenin, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Nablus, Qalqilyah and Tulkarm, declaring them "liberated". Jenin ( Arabic:; ג'נין a city in the West Bank 's Jenin Governorate, is a major Palestinian agricultural center al-Bireh or el-Bira (البيرة אָל בִּירֶה is a Palestinian city adjacent to Ramallah in the central West Bank, north of Qalqilyah ( Arabic قلقيلية Qalqīlyaḧ; Hebrew קַלְקִילִיָה) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. Tulkarm or Tulkarem ( طولكرم Ṭūlkarm; טול כרם) is a Palestinian city in the Tulkarm Governorate in the The PNA also gained control of the West Bank's postal service during this period. The Palestinian National Authority began in 1994 to issue stamps and operate postal services as authorized by the Oslo Accords. ^[70] On January 20, 1996, Arafat was elected president of the PNA, with an overwhelming 88. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 2% majority (the only other candidate was charity organizer Samiha Khalil). Samiha al-Qubaj Salameh Khalil (1923 in Anabta, District of Tulkarm - February 26, 1999 in Ramallah) also known as Umm Khalil However, because Hamas, the DFLP and other popular opposition movements chose to boycott the presidential elections, the choices were limited. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Arafat's landslide victory guaranteed Fatah 51 of the 88 seats in the PLC. After Arafat was elected to the post of President of the PNA, he was often referred to as the Ra'is, (literally president in Arabic), although he spoke of himself as "the general". ^[71] In 1997, the PLC accused the executive branch of the PNA of financial mismanagement causing the resignation of four members of Arafat's cabinet. Arafat refused to resign his post. ^[72]

Other peace agreements

In mid-1996, Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister of Israel by a margin of just one percent. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city (בִּנְיָמִין "ביבי" נְתַנְיָהוּ Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, born October 21 1949, Tel Aviv) was The first ever election for Prime Minister was held in Israel on 29 May 1996 alongside simultaneous Knesset elections. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Palestinian-Israeli relations grew even more hostile as a result of continued conflict. ^[73] Despite the Israel-PLO accord, Netanyahu opposed the idea of Palestinian statehood. ^[74] In 1998, US President Bill Clinton persuaded the two leaders to meet. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The resulting Wye River Memorandum detailed the steps to be taken by the Israeli government and PNA to complete the peace process. The Wye River Memorandum was a political agreement negotiated to implement the earlier Interim Agreement of 28 September 1995 brokered by the United States between ^[75]

Arafat continued negotiations with Netanyahu's successor, Ehud Barak, at the Camp David Summit in July 2000. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Due partly to his own politics (Barak was from the leftist Labor Party, whereas Netanyahu was from the rightist Likud Party) and partly due to insistence for compromise by President Clinton, Barak offered Arafat a Palestinian state in 73% of the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities Likud (ליכוד lit Consolidation) is the major centre-right political party in Israel. The Palestinian percentage of sovereignty would extend to 90% over a ten to twenty-five year period. Also included in the offer were the return of a small number of refugees and compensation for those not allowed to return. Arafat rejected Barak's offer and refused to make an immediate counter-offer. ^[61] He stated to President Clinton that, "the Arab leader who would surrender Jerusalem is not born yet". ^[76] The move was criticized even by a member of his own negotiating team and cabinet, Nabil Amr. Nabil Amr is a former cabinet minister in the Palestinian National Authority. ^[61]

Negotiations continued at the Taba summit in January 2001; this time, Ehud Barak pulled out of the talks to campaign in the Israeli elections. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and The Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister The Taba summit (also known as Taba Summit, Taba Talks, Taba Conference, Taba, or permanent status talks at Taba) were talks between In October and December 2001, suicide bombings by Palestinian militant groups increased and Israeli counter strikes intensified, causing the outbreak of the Second Intifada. Following the election of Ariel Sharon in February, the peace process took a steep downfall. (אריאל Palestinian elections scheduled for January 2002 were postponed — the stated reason was an inability to campaign due to the emergency conditions imposed by the Intifada, as well as IDF incursions and restrictions on freedom of movement in the Palestinian territories. Freedom of movement, mobility rights or the right to travel is a Human rights concept which is respected in the Constitutions of numerous In the same month, Sharon ordered Arafat to be confined to his Mukata'a headquarters in Ramallah, following a suicide bombing in the Israeli city of Hadera;^[76] US President George W. Bush supported Sharon's action, claiming that Arafat was "an obstacle to the peace". See Muqata'ah for the Ottoman instrument for financing state expenses Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 Hadera (חֲדֵרָה Ḥadera الخضيرة Al-Ḫuḍayraḧ El-Khdera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately half-way between George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. ^[77]

Political survival

Relations with Hamas and other militant groups

Arafat's long personal and political survival was taken by most Western commentators as a sign of his mastery of asymmetric warfare and his skill as a tactician, given the extremely dangerous nature of politics of the Middle East and the frequency of assassinations. Asymmetric warfare originally referred to War between two or more belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly ^[78] Some commentators believe his survival was largely due to Israel's fear that he could become a martyr for the Palestinian cause if he were assassinated or even arrested by Israel. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom ^[79] Others believe that Israel refrained from taking action against Arafat because it feared Arafat less than Hamas and the other Islamist movements gaining support over Fatah. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة The complex and fragile web of relations between the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab states contributed also to Arafat's longevity as the leader of the Palestinians. ^[78]

Arafat's ability to adapt to new tactical and political situations was perhaps tested by the rise of the Hamas and PIJ organizations, Islamist groups espousing rejectionist opposition to Israel and employing new tactics such as suicide bombing, often intentionally targeting non-military targets, such as malls and movie theaters, to increase the psychological damage and civilian casualties. The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين - Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn The Rejectionist Front (جبهة الرفض or Front of the Palestinian Forces Rejecting Solutions of Surrender (جبهة القوى الفلسطينية الرافضة للحلول In the 1990s, these groups seemed to threaten Arafat's capacity to hold together a unified secular nationalist organization with a goal of statehood. ^[78] They appeared to be out of Arafat's influence and control, and were actively fighting with Fatah. Some allege that activities of these groups were tolerated by Arafat as a means of applying pressure on Israel. ^[53]

In 2002, the Arab League made an offer to recognize Israel in exchange for an Israeli retreat from all territories captured in the Six-Day War and statehood for the Palestinians governed by Arafat's PNA. Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin (1937 – March 22 2004 ( Arabic: ar الشيخ أحمد ياسين was the co-founder with Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, of Hamas Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة Gaza (غزة, עַזָּה ʕazzā is the largest city in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. ^[80] Shortly afterward, an attack carried out by Hamas militants killed twenty-nine Israeli civilians celebrating Passover including many senior citizens. Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish ^[81] In response, Israel launched Operation Defensive Shield, a major military offensive into major West Bank cities. Background March and April 2002 saw a dramatic increase of Suicide bomb attacks against Israelis by Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas, List of cities (and towns in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Some Israeli government officials opined in 2002 that the armed Fatah sub-group al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades commenced attacks towards Israel in order to compete with Hamas. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (كتائب شهداء الأقصى is a coalition of Palestinian militias in ^[82] On May 6, the Israeli government released a report, based in part on documents captured during the Israeli occupation of Arafat's Ramallah headquarters, which included copies of papers signed by Arafat authorizing funding for al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' activities. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. ^[83]

Attempts to marginalize

Persistent attempts by the Israeli government to identify another Palestinian leader to represent the Palestinian people failed. Arafat was enjoying the support of groups that, given his own history, would normally have been quite wary of dealing with or supporting him. Marwan Barghouti (a leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades) emerged as a possible replacement during the Second Intifada, but Israel had him arrested for being involved in the killing of twenty-six civilians and was sentenced to five life terms. Marwan Bin Khatib Barghouti ( مروان البرغوثي born June 6, 1959) is a Palestinian politician and militant leader who gained political authority ^[84]

Arafat was finally allowed to leave his compound on May 3, after intense negotiations led to a settlement: six militants wanted by Israel, who had been holed up with Arafat in his compound, would not be turned over to Israel, but neither would they be held in custody by the PNA. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Rather, a combination of British and American security personnel would ensure that the wanted men remained imprisoned in Jericho. Jericho ( Arabic, ʼArīḥā; Hebrew, Standard Yəriḥo Tiberian Yərîḫô With that, and a promise that he would issue a call in Arabic to the Palestinians to halt attacks on Israelis, Arafat was released. ^[85] He issued such a call on May 8, but as with previous attempts, it was largely ignored. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen ^[86] In 2003, Arafat ceded his post as Prime Minister to Mahmoud Abbas amid pressures by the US. Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President ^[87]

In 2004, President Bush dismissed Arafat as a negotiating partner. ^[88] Arafat had a mixed relationship at best with the leaders of other Arab nations. His support from Arab leaders tended to increase whenever he was pressured by Israel; for example, when Israel declared in 2003 it had made the decision, in principle, to remove him from the Israeli-controlled West Bank. ^[76] In an interview with the Arab news network Al-Jazeera, Arafat responded to Ariel Sharon's suggestion that he be exiled from the Palestinian territories permanently, by stating, "Is it his [Sharon's] homeland or ours? We were planted here before the Prophet Abraham came, but it looks like they [Israelis] don't understand history or geography. For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" Name There are differences of opinion as to what the Palestinian territories should be called "^[76]

Financial dealings

In August 2002, the Israeli Military Intelligence Chief said that Arafat's personal wealth was USD $1. For the continent in JRR Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium, see Aman, for the Jordanian Organization see Aman Jordan 3 billion,^[89] but provided no material evidence for this claim. In 2003 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted an audit of the PNA and stated that Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account controlled by Arafat and the PNA Chief Economic Financial adviser. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic However, the IMF did not claim that there were any improprieties, and it specifically stated that most of the funds had been used to invest in Palestinian assets, both internally and abroad. ^[90][91]

Also in 2003, a team of American accountants – hired by Arafat's own finance ministry – began examining Arafat's finances. The finance minister is a Cabinet position in a Government. A minister of Finance (also called financial affairs the treasury the economy or economic The team claimed that part of the Palestinian leader's wealth was in a secret portfolio worth close to $1 billion, with investments in companies like a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Ramallah, a Tunisian cell phone company and venture capital funds in the US and the Cayman Islands. Coca-Cola is a carbonated Soft drink sold in stores restaurants and Vending machines in more than 200 countries Venture capital (also known as VC or Venture) is a type of Private equity capital typically provided to immature high-potential growth companies The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac The head of the investigation stated that "although the money for the portfolio came from public funds like Palestinian taxes, virtually none of it was used for the Palestinian people; it was all controlled by Arafat. Public funding is money given from Tax revenue or other Governmental sources to an individual organization or entity And none of these dealings were made public. "^[92]

Although Arafat lived a modest lifestyle, Dennis Ross, former Middle East negotiator for Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, stated that Arafat's "walking-around money" financed a vast patronage system known as neopatrimonialism. Dennis B Ross (born November 26 1948 in San Francisco) is an American Author and Political figure who served as the director for policy planning George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Neopatrimonialism is a term used for Patrons using State resources in order to secure the Loyalty of clients in the general population and is According to Salam Fayyad, - a former World Bank official whom Arafat appointed Finance Minister of the PNA in 2002 — Arafat's commodity monopolies could accurately be seen as gouging his own people, "especially in Gaza which is poorer, which is something that is totally unacceptable and immoral. Dr Salam Fayyad (سلام فياض b 1952 is a Palestinian politician who on June 15, 2007, was appointed the Prime Minister of the Palestinian The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The Finance Minister of the Palestinian Authority is the head of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA branch that is in charge of finance " Fayyad claims that Arafat used $20 million from public funds to pay the leadership of the PNA security forces (the Preventive Security Service) alone. ^[92]

An investigation by the European Union into claims that their funds were misused by the Palestinian Authority found no evidence that funds were diverted to finance terrorist activities. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ^[93] Fuad Shubaki, former financial aide to Arafat, told the Israeli security service Shin Bet that Arafat used several million dollars of aid money to buy weapons and support militant groups. The (שב"כ an acronym for Sherut Bitahon Klali (שירות ביטחון כללי lit ^[94]

Illness and death

First reports of Arafat's treatment by his doctors for what his spokesman said was the "flu" came on October 25, 2004, after he vomited during a meeting. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " His condition deteriorated in the following days. ^[95] Following visits by other doctors, including teams from Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt — and agreement by Israel not to block his return — Arafat was taken on a French government jet to the Percy military hospital in Clamart, a suburb of Paris. The Hôpital d'instruction des armées Percy or HIA Percy (meaning "Percy Training Hospital of the Armies" is a Military hospital in Clamart Clamart is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. ^[96] According to one of his doctors, Arafat was suffering from Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an immunologically-mediated decrease in the number of circulating platelets to abnormally low levels. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP is the condition of having a low Platelet count ( Thrombocytopenia) of no known cause ( Idiopathic) ^[95] On November 3, he lapsed into a gradually deepening coma. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. In the ensuing days, Arafat's health was the subject of some speculation, with suspicion that he was suffering from poisoning or AIDS. In the context of Biology, poisons are substances that can cause damage, Illness, or Death to Organisms usually by ^[97] Various sources speculated that Arafat was comatose, in a "vegetative state" or dead, however, Palestinian authorities and Arafat's Jordanian doctor denied reports that Arafat was brain dead and had been kept on life support. In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. ^[98]

A controversy erupted between officials of the PNA and Suha Arafat when officials from the PNA traveled to France to see Yasser Arafat. Suha stated "They are trying to bury Abu Ammar [Arafat] alive". ^[99] French law forbids physicians from discussing the condition of their patients with anybody with the exception, in case of grave prognosis, of close relatives. In academic terms French law can be divided into two main categories private law (" droit privé " and public law (" droit public " ^[100] Accordingly, all communications concerning Arafat's health had to be authorized by his wife. Palestinian officials expressed regret that the news about Yasser Arafat was "filtered" by her. ^[101]

The next day, chief surgeon Christian Estripeau of Percy reported that Arafat's condition had worsened, and that he had fallen into a deeper coma. ^[102] Sheikh Taissir Tamimi, the head of the Islamic court of the Palestinian territories — who held a vigil at Arafat's bedside — visited Arafat and declared that it was out of the question to disconnect him from life support since, according to him, such an action is prohibited in Islam. Sheikh Taissir Tamimi ( شيخ تيسير تميمي) is the head of the Islamic Court of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and staunch Palestinian For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. ^[76]

Arafat was pronounced dead at 3:30 am UTC on November 11 at the age of 75. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare The exact cause of his illness is unknown. Tamimi described it as "a very painful scene. "^[76] When Arafat's death was announced, the Palestinian people went into a state of mourning, with Qur'anic mourning prayers emitted from mosque loudspeakers and tires burning in the street. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran One obituary at Socialist World said: "Many Palestinians will view the death of Yasser Arafat with a mixture of sadness and a wish that the Palestinian Authority he led, had done much more to end the poverty and oppression that blights their lives". ^[103]

The Canard Enchaîné newspaper reported alleged leaks of information by unnamed medical sources at Percy hospital who had access to Arafat and his medical file. Le Canard enchaîné (French The Chained Duck) is a Satirical Newspaper published weekly in France. According to the newspaper, the doctors at Percy hospital suspected, from Arafat's arrival, grave lesions of the liver responsible for an alteration of the composition of the blood; Arafat was therefore placed in a hematology service. Hematology ( American English) or haematology ( British English) is the branch of biology (physiology Pathology, Clinical laboratory Leukemia was "soundly ruled out". Leukemia or leukaemia (Greek leukos λευκός, "white" aima αίμα, "blood" is a Cancer of the Blood According to the same source, the reason why this diagnosis of cirrhosis could not be made available was that, in the mind of the general public, cirrhosis is generally associated with the consequences of alcohol abuse. Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic Liver Disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous Scar tissue as well as regenerative Even though the diagnosis was not of an alcoholic cirrhosis and Arafat was not known for consuming any alcohol, there was a likelihood of rumors. The source explained that Arafat's living conditions did little to improve the situation. Thus, according to the source, the probable causes of the disease were multiple; Arafat's coma was a consequence of the worsened cirrhosis. The French newspaper Le Monde quoted doctors as saying that he suffered from "an unusual blood disease and a liver problem". Le Monde (The World is a ^[104]

After Arafat's death, the French Ministry of Defense said that Arafat's medical file would be transmitted to only his next of kin. The Minister of Defence ( Ministère de la Défense) is the French Government cabinet member charged with running the Military of France Next of kin is the term used to describe a person's closest living blood relative or Relatives. It was determined that Arafat's nephew and PNA envoy to the UN, Nasser al-Qudwa, was a close enough relative, thus working around Suha Arafat's silence on her husband's illness. Nasser al-Qudwa (ناصر القدوة (1959- is a Palestinian diplomat and was the Permanent Observer from the Palestinian National Authority for the United Nasser al-Qudwa was given a copy of Arafat's 558-page medical file by the French Ministry of Defense. ^[105]

Poison and AIDS controversy

In September 2005, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that French experts could not determine the cause of Arafat's death. (הארץ "The land" referring to the Land of Israel) founded in 1918 is Israel 's oldest Daily newspaper. The paper quoted an Israeli AIDS expert who claimed that Arafat bore all the symptoms of AIDS, a hypothesis later rejected by The New York Times. ^[106]

Ashraf al-Kurdi, a personal physician of Arafat for twenty years and who treated also the Hashemite kings of Jordan, later declared that nothing in Arafat's medical report mentioned the existence of such an infection. The Jordanian monarchy was set up in 1921 with help from the British. ^[107] Another "senior Israeli physician" claimed in the article in Haaretz that it was "a classic case of food poisoning", probably caused by a meal eaten four hours before he fell ill that may have contained a toxin such as ricin, rather than a standard bacterial poisoning. Ricin (ˈraɪ sɨn is a Protein Toxin that is extracted from the castor bean ( Ricinus communis) However, in the same week as the report in Haaretz, The New York Times published a separate report, also based on access to Arafat's medical records, which claimed that it was highly unlikely that Arafat had AIDS or food poisoning. Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any Illness resulting from the consumption of food ^[106][108] Both publications further speculated that the cause of death may have been an infection of an unknown nature or origin. However, rumors of Arafat's poisoning have remained popular around the world, and especially among the Arab populace. Al-Kurdi lamented the fact that Arafat's wife Suha had refused an autopsy, which would have answered many questions in the cause of death case. ^[107][109] In 2005, al-Kurdi called for the creation of an independent commission to carry out investigations concerning Arafat's suspicious death, stating, "any doctor would tell you that these are the symptoms of a poisoning". ^[107][110] He had previously told the Associated Press that Arafat had the AIDS virus and that "it was given to him to cover up the poison". The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio ^[107]

Paris deputy Claude Goasguen asked for a parliamentary inquiry commission on the death of Arafat in an attempt to quell rumors. The French National Assembly. The other is the Senate ( “Sénat”) The French government insisted that there was no evidence Arafat had been poisoned; otherwise, a criminal investigation would have necessarily been opened. ^[111]

Aftermath

Burial

On November 11, the French military Honor Guard held a funeral for Arafat at a military airport near Paris. See Muqata'ah for the Ottoman instrument for financing state expenses Ramallah ( Arabic:) (lit "Height of God" is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank adjacent to Al-Bireh with a population 118000 Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare The Military of France encompasses an army, a navy, an air force and a military police force. An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a ceremonial escort often military in nature usually composed of volunteers who are carefully screened for their ability and physical ^[112] President Jacques Chirac stood alone beside Arafat's body for about ten minutes in a last show of respect for a leader he hailed as, "a man of courage". ^[113] The next day, Arafat was flown to Egypt's capital Cairo for another brief military funeral there, before his burial in Ramallah, later that day. A military funeral is a funeral given by a country's Military for a Veteran, a soldier who died in battle or another prominent military figure The funeral was attended by several heads of states, prime ministers and foreign ministers. ^[114] Egypt's top Muslim cleric Sayed Tantawi led mourning prayers preceding the funeral procession. Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi (محمد سيد طنطاوى (born 28 October 1928) is the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque and Grand ^[96]

Israel refused Arafat's wish to be buried in or near al-Aqsa Mosque or anywhere in Jerusalem, citing widespread security concerns. Al-Aqsa Mosque ( Arabic:المسجد الاقصى /æl'mæsdʒɪd æl'ɑqsˁɑ/ {{Audio|ArAqsaMosque Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the ^[115] Following his Cairo procession, Arafat was "temporarily" laid to rest within his former headquarters in Ramallah; the ceremony was watched by thousands of Palestinians. See Muqata'ah for the Ottoman instrument for financing state expenses ^[96] After Sheikh Taissir Tamimi discovered that Arafat was buried improperly and in a coffin – which is not in accordance with Islamic law – Arafat was reburied on the morning of November 13, at around 3:00 am. Sheikh Taissir Tamimi ( شيخ تيسير تميمي) is the head of the Islamic Court of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and staunch Palestinian Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St ^[116] On November 10, 2007, prior to the third anniversary of Arafat's death, Abbas unveiled a mausoleum for Arafat near his temporary tomb in commemoration of him. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons ^[117]

Successor

Upon Arafat's death, PLC Speaker Rawhi Fattouh succeeded Arafat as interim President of the PNA. The Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council is the chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Rawhi Fattuh ( روحي فتوح, also transliterated as Rauhi Fattouh) (born 1949 is the former Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council PLO Secretary-General Mahmoud Abbas was selected Chairman of the PLO, and Farouk Kaddoumi became head of Fatah. Mahmoud Abbas (محمود عباس (born March 26, 1935) also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (ابو مازن was elected President Farouk al-Kaddoumi (alternative transliteration Faruq al-Qaddumi) (فاروق القدومي also known as Abu al-Lutf, born in 1931 ^[118] The PNA and the leadership of Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon declared forty days of mourning for Arafat. Palestinian Refugee camps were established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War to accommodate Palestinian refugees who fled from the war ^[96] Abbas won the January 2005 presidential election by a comfortable margin, solidifying himself as the successor to Arafat as leader of the Palestinians. The 2005 Palestinian presidential election &mdash the first to be held since 1996 &mdash took place on January 9, 2005 in the West Bank and Gaza

See also

• List of Fatah members
• List of Palestinians
• Nobel Prize controversies
• Person of the Year

Notes

Further reading

• Aburish, Said K. (1998). Said K Aburish (سعيد أبو ريش (born 1935 Al-Eizariya) is a Palestinian Journalist and writer Arafat: From Defender to Dictator. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is an independent London -based publishing house known for literary Novels It was named Publisher of the Year in 1999 and ISBN 978-1-58234-049-4.  
• Cobban, Helena (1984). The Palestine Liberation Organisation: People, Power and Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England Cambridge University Press (known colloquially as CUP is a Publisher given a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1534 ISBN 0-521-27216-5.  
• Gowers, Andrew; Tony Walker (2005). Andrew Gowers (1957 -) was appointed editor of the Financial Times in October 2001 Arafat: The Biography. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-1-85227-924-0.  
• Hart, Alan (1994). Alan Hart is a former British Television executive who from 1981 to 1984 was the Controller of BBC One. Arafat. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 978-0-283-06220-9.  
• Livingstone, Neil (1990). Inside the PLO. Reader's Digest Association. Reader's Digest is a monthly general-interest family Magazine co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. ISBN 978-0-7090-4548-9.  
• Rubin, Barry M. ; Judith Colp Rubin (2003). Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-516689-7.  
• Rubenstein, Danny; Dan Leon (1995). Danny Rubinstein (1937-) is an Israeli journalist and author Biography Daniel (Danny Rubinstein was born in Jerusalem in 1937 The Mystery of Arafat. Steerforth Press. ISBN 978-1-883642-10-5.  
• Wallach, Janet (1990). Arafat: In the Eyes of the Beholder. Lyle Stuart. ISBN 978-0-8184-0533-4.  

External links

• A Life in Retrospect: Yasser Arafat Time magazine retrospective
• Biography of Yasser Arafat The Nobel e-Museum
• Life and times of Yassir Arafat, Profile: Yassir Arafat Times Online, UK
• Yasser Arafat (1929-2004) PASSIA
• Encarta Article on Yasser Arafat
• Yasser Arafat at the Open Directory Project

Persondata
NAME	Arafat, Yasser
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	ياسر عرفات (Arabic); Abu `Ammar (kunya)
SHORT DESCRIPTION	President of the Palestinian Authority
DATE OF BIRTH	August 4 or 24, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH	Cairo, Egypt
DATE OF DEATH	November 11, 2004
PLACE OF DEATH	Paris, France

The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

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