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| YASSER ARAFAT |
 Yasir
Arafat, born in Jerusalem in 1929, is the President of Palestinian National
Authority (PNA), which controls the
Palestinian territories in Gaza and on the West Bank since January
1996,and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization
(PLO) since 1968.
A native of Palestine, Arafat emigrated to Egypt after loosing Palestine land and the establishment of Israel in 1948. In 1958, he left Egypt to Kuwait where he worked as an engineer and met with Khalil Al Wazeer (Abu Jihad). In Kuwait, he discussed the idea of establishing "Fateh" the Palestinian National Liberation Movement. After then Arafat returned to Palestine where he met with a group of Palestinian activists and founded Fateh Movement which launched its first operation on the 1st of January 1965 and Arafat became the head of the movement. Arafat stayed in Jerusalem until 1967, then he left to Jordan. He secretly returned to Palestine 3 times. He led Al-Karamah battle in 1968 with his Palestinian colleagues in Fateh where the Palestinian resistance won the battle against the Israelis. |
Yasser Arafat |
| Named chairman of the PLO in 1968 to be the 3rd chairman after Ahmed Ash-Shuqiri and Yahya Hamoda. He is still the chairman of the committee until the present time. In the aftermath of September war 1969 in Jordan, he moved to Lebanon and remained there until 1982 when Beirut was under siege for three months by the Israeli army who failed to conquer the PLO. After then left Beirut to Tunisia. Arafat originally sought to establish a secular Palestinian state and was widely recognized as president for the Palestinian people. After Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories launched an uprising (INTIFADA) in December 1987, Arafat persuaded the PLO to declare (November 1988) an independent Palestinian state, renounced terrorism, and accepted United Nations resolution 242 and Israel's right to exist. Named president of the Palestinian government in exile in 1989, Arafat faced opposition from hard-liners and Syrian-backed Palestinians within the PLO. His peace proposals were accepted later by Israel. In 1993 Arafat exchanged letters of PLO -Israel recognition with former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after secret talks in Oslo which led to what is known as Oslo Agreement about Palestinian self rule in West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). In January 27 1994 Arafat elected as President of PNA in the first Palestinian legislative elections. where he took 88% of the votes ( SEE ALSO : Palestinian Legislative Council ). Arafat won many peace prizes and got Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 jointly with the Israeli's Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. |
 International
Profile
Arafat's international profile has changed during the last 30 years. He was during the 60s seen upon as warrior for freedom to liberate the land of Palestine and the Palestinian people from the Israeli's occupation. In the 70s the international society came to regard him as being a politician without country, but still connected to the activities performed in the 60s. In the 80s, Arafat started to gain more important support in the West, much because of understanding the Palestinian problem and increasingly savage policies from Israel's side (attacks at Lebanon, massacres in Sabra and Chatila), but basically because of a change of politics (more talks, less action). In the 90s Arafat has come to be considered a pragmatic moderate, and by many as a wiser politician than his Israeli opponents. Few question Arafat's intentions in the peace process, but there is more uncertainty on will to peace with his opponents'. |
 BIOGRAPHY
1929, August 24 : Born in Jerusalem, Palestine. During his childhood Arafat lived in both Cairo and Jerusalem while he was escorting his father, who was a very rich merchant. 1947: In the wars with the Jews, Arafat fought on the side of the grand mufti of Jerusalem. 1948: Fled Palestine, after the occupying the land of Palestine and establishment of Israel. He settled in Cairo, where he started studying engineering at University of Cairo. 1952: He joined the Muslim Brotherhood and Union of Palestinian Students, where he became president. 1956: Participated in the Suez campaign, in the Egyptian Army. 1956: Moved to Kuwait, where he worked as an engineer, and established his own entrepreneur company. 1957: Started Al Fateh. Al Fateh conducted several attacks into Israel. 1967: Al Fateh was linked to PLO. 1968: Elected chairman of PLO. Worked on bringing PLO from Panarabism to Palestinian nationalism. 1974: Held a historical speech in front of the General Assembly in UN. 1982: PLO had to move from Lebanon. after Israel invaded the country. Moved the headquarters to Tunisia. 1988, Nov. 15: State of Palestine proclaimed at a meeting in Algiers, Algeria. 1989: Elected president of State of Palestine by the Central Council of the Palestine National Council. 1991: USA-led talks begin Madrid, but lead nowhere. 1993: Oslo agreement brings the peace process a giant leap forward. The content is a "land for peace"- principle. 1993: Arafat recognized Israel's right to existence. 1994: Israeli forces withdrew from the village of Jericho in May. Arafat came home in July. 1995: Arafat won the Nobel Prize for Peace. 1996: Jan. 20 Elected president of the Palestinian Authority in public elections, with 88% of the votes. 1997 to present: He lives in Palestine as the president of the PNA. |
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| © 1998 Nicholas Marouf (WebMaster) |