Yasser Arafat: Difference between revisions

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	'''Yasser Arafat''' (]: ياسر عرفات Yāsir `Arafāt) (] or ], ] – ], ]), born '''Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ar-Rauf al-Qudwah al-Husayni''' and also known as '''Abu Ammar''', was co-founder and Chairman of the ] (PLO) (since ]) and President of the ] (PNA) (since ]); and a co-winner of the ] ]. As a ] and a ] leader, he was regarded as a ] by supporters, but a ] or ] by his opponents.

			'''Yasser Arafat''' (]: ياسر عرفات) (], ] – ], ]), born Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ar-Rauf al-Qudwah al-Husayni, also known as '''Abu Ammar''') was the President of the ] (leader since ], elected in ]); leader of ] and Chairman of the ] (PLO) (since ]), and co-winner of the ] ].
	Arafat died at the age of 75 at the military hospital of Percy de Clamart near ], and his body was interred in ].

	==Biography==		== Biography ==
	===Early life===
	Arafat, the fifth of seven children, was born on ], ] in ], ], to a Palestinian textile merchant . His father’s family includes ]ian ancestry and his mother descended from a prominent Palestinian family in ]. Arafat often claimed he was born in Jerusalem on ], ] however this contradicts numerous first hand accounts and an official Egyptian birth certificate .

			=== Early life ===
	Claims that Arafat was related to the Jerusalem Husseini clan through his mother have been disputed by the Palestinian historian Said Aburish, given that the Husseini clan designation comes from his father's side.
			Arafat was born to a ] family. His father was a merchant from a family that had some ] ancestry. His mother was from a prominent Palestinian family in ]. According to Arafat and other sources, he was born in Jerusalem on ], ] . His date and place of birth have been disputed; some sources contend that he was born in ] on ], ]. .

			Arafat’s childhood was divided between Cairo and Jerusalem. Arafat attended the University of King Faud I (later renamed ]) and sought to understand ] and ] by engaging in discussions with Jews and reading publications by ] and other Zionists .
	When Arafat was four his mother died, and he and his father moved to Jerusalem. He lived in a house close to the ], and the ], which is sited within the ], Judaism's holiest site. During this time, local Muslim authorities had effective control of these two sites, but a growing number of ] immigrants were agitating to gain control of the Temple Mount. At the age of eight his father married again and they moved back to Cairo. The marriage did not work and his father shortly married again thereafter. When this happened Arafat's sister Inam was left in charge of the upbringing of her siblings. She once noted that Arafat was "''not like other children in playing or in his feelings... He gathered the Arab kids of the district, formed them into groups and made them march and drill. He carried a stick and he used to beat those who did not obey his commands''." {{dubious}}

			During the ] ], Arafat left the university and, along with other Palestinians, sought to enter Palestine to fight for Palestinian independence. He was disarmed and turned back by the Egyptian army which did not allow poorly trained partisans to enter the war zone.
	Arafat attended the University of King Faud I (later renamed ]) and sought to better understand ] and ] by engaging in discussions with Jews and reading publications by ] and other Zionists. But by ] he had become a Palestinian nationalist and was procuring weapons in Egypt to be smuggled into Palestine in the Arab cause. . During the ], Arafat left the university and, along with other Palestinians, sought to enter Palestine to fight for Palestinian independence. He was disarmed and turned back by Egyptian military forces that refused to allow the poorly trained partisans to enter the war zone. Arafat felt that he had been "''betrayed by these regimes''". After returning to the university, Arafat joined the ] and served as president of the Union of Palestinian Students from ] to ]. By 1956, Arafat graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and served as a second lieutenant in the Egyptian Army during the ]. . Later in 1956 at a conference in Prague he donned the ], the traditional chequered head-dress which was to become his emblem.

			After returning to the university, Arafat joined the ] and served as president of the Union of Palestinian Students from ] to ]. In 1956, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
			Arafat served as a second lieutenant in the Egyptian army during the ].

			After Suez, Arafat moved to ], where he worked as an engineer and later set up his own contracting firm.

	=== Fatah and the PLO ===		=== Fatah and the PLO ===
	After ], Arafat moved to ], where he found work as an engineer and eventually set up his own contracting firm. Arafat had decided that the best way for ]s to gain control of ] was for them to fight and not rely on support from foreign Arab governments. In ] in ], Arafat with a group of refugees from Gaza helped found ], an organization dedicated to the establishment of an independent ~~Palestinian state in place of~~ ]. ~~Fatah's first operation was an unsuccessful attempt to blow up an Israeli water pump station in ]~~.		In ] in Kuwait, Arafat with a group of refugees from Gaza helped found ], an organization dedicated to the establishment of an independent ] state.
			Fatah's first commando operation was an unsuccessful attempt to blow up an Israeli water pump station in ].

			The ] (PLO) was formed in ] as a political organization unifying all resistance groups with the common goal of liberation of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
	After the ], ] started an offensive against what they viewed as Palestinian terrorist organizations. Arafat is said to have escaped the Israeli attacks by crossing the ] dressed as a woman carrying a baby, a story that enhanced his image as a man who could always manage a narrow escape.

			After the ], ] started attacking Palestinian resistance organizations.
	In ], the terrorist-group Fatah was the target of an ] operation on the Jordanian village of ] ("honor" in Arabic language), in which 150 Palestinians and 29 Israeli soldiers were killed. Despite the high Palestinian death toll, the battle was considered a victory for Fatah because the Israeli army was repulsed. Amid the post-war gloom, the profiles of Arafat and Fatah were raised by this important turning point, as he came to be regarded as a national hero who dared confront Israel, and masses of young Arabs joined the ranks of Fatah. By the late ], Fatah had come to dominate the PLO, and at the ] in ] on ], ] Arafat was appointed ] leader, replacing ]. Arafat became commander-in-chief of the Palestinian Revolutionary Forces two years later and, in ], the head of the PLO's political department.
			In ], Israeli army attacked Fatah in the Jordanian village of Al-Karameh; 150 Palestinians and 29 Israeli soldiers were killed. Despite heavy losses, Palestinians considered this battle a victory because the Israeli army ultimately withdrew.
			This was a turning point for the resistance movement because it showed that resistance can effect changes. Many Palestinians regarded Fatah and Arafat as heroes for daring to confront the much more powerful Israeli army, and many young Palestinians began joining the ranks of Fatah.
			Fatah soon became dominant faction within the PLO and in ] Arafat was named chairman of the PLO. Arafat became commander in chief of the Palestinian Revolutionary Forces in ] and the head of the PLO's political department in ].

	=== Jordan ===		=== Jordan ===
	In ~~the~~ late 1960s tensions between ~~Palestinians~~ and the ]ian government ~~had greatly increased; heavily armed~~ Palestinian ~~resistance elements ('']'')~~ had ~~created~~ ~~a virtual "state within a state" in Jordan, eventually~~ ~~controlling~~ several strategic positions in Jordan, including the oil refinery near Az Zarq. ~~Jordan considered this a growing threat to its sovereignty and security and attempted to disarm the Palestinian militias. Open fighting erupted in ] of ].~~		In late 1960s, tensions rose between Palestinian resistance groups and the ]ian government. Palestinian groups had managed to control several strategic positions in Jordan, including the oil refinery near Az Zarq.
			Jordan considered this a growing threat to its sovereignty and security and attempted to disarm the Palestinian militias. Open fighting between Jordan and Palestinian resistance groups erupted in ] of ].

	~~Other ]~~ governments attempted to negotiate a peaceful ~~resolution~~, but ~~continuing ''fedayeen'' actions in~~ Jordan ~~(such~~ as ~~the~~ ~~destruction~~ of ~~three~~ ~~international~~ ~~airliners hijacked and held~~ in ~~the~~ ~~desert~~ ~~east of Amman) prompted the Jordanian government to take action to regain control over its territory. On~~ ], ] declared martial law. On that same day, Arafat became supreme commander of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA), the regular military force of the PLO. In the ensuing civil war, the PLO had the active support of ], which ~~invaded Jordan with a force of~~ around 200 tanks. ~~The~~ ~~fighting~~ ~~was~~ ~~mainly between~~ the ~~Jordanian~~ ~~army~~ and ~~the PLA; the~~ ] Navy dispatched ~~the~~ Sixth Fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and ~~it is rumored that~~ Israel deployed troops to aid Hussein, if necessary. By ], the Jordanian army achieved dominance and the PLA agreed to a series of ceasefires . See also ] and ].		Arab governments attempted to negotiate a peaceful solution, but the Jordan government responded to continued militant activites with escalation in repressive measures; on ] Jordanian King Hussein declared martial law.
			On that same day Arafat became supreme commander of the ] (PLA), the regular military force of the PLO.
			In the ensuing civil war the PLO had the active support of ], which sent around 200 tanks into Jordan to aid the PLO.
			The ] and ] also got involved: U.S. Navy dispatched its ] to the eastern Mediterranean, and Israel deployed its troops to aid King Hussein if necessary.
			By ] the Jordanian army achieved dominance, and the PLA agreed to a series of ceasefires . See also ] and ].

	=== Lebanon ===		=== Lebanon ===
			From ], Arafat and the ] relocated to ]. Because of Lebanon's weak central government, the PLO was able to operate independently of Lebanese authorities. During the ]i attacks on Lebanon the PLO began launching artillery strikes and guerilla attacks on Israel from Lebanon.

			In ] of ] the Palestinian group ] kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes at the ]; all hostages and most hostage takers were eventually killed.
	Following the expulsion from ], Arafat relocated the PLO to ]. Because of Lebanon's weak central government, the PLO was able to operate virtually as an independent state. Palestinian fighters mounted intermittent cross-border attacks against civilian and military targets in Israel from there; Israel responded with offensive maneuvers into Lebanon.
			This attack was widely condemned and Arafat publicly disassociated himself from such attacks.
			In ] Arafat ordered the PLO to stop acts of violence outside Israel and Israel ] ].
			That year Arafat became the first representative of a nongovernmental organization to address a plenary session of the ].

			The ] movement continued to launch attacks against Israeli targets. In the late ] several new leftist organizations were formed in Palestine and carried out attacks on Israel and Israeli ] ]. Israel claimed that Arafat was in ultimate control over these organizations, but Arafat denied responsibility for acts of other groups.
	In ] ], ], under the direction of Arafat, , kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes at the ] and eventually killed them all. The killings were internationally condemned and Arafat publicly "disassociated" himself and the PLO from such attacks.

			In ], ] states declared the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of all ]. The PLO was admitted to full membership in the ] in ].
	In ] Arafat "ordered" the PLO to withdraw from acts of violence outside Israel, the ] and the ]. The Fatah movement continued to launch attacks against Israeli civilians; moreover, in the late ] numerous leftist Palestinian organizations appeared which carried out attacks against civilian targets both within Israel and outside of it. Israel claimed that Arafat was in ultimate control over these organizations and hence had by no means abandoned terrorism, but Arafat steadfastly denied responsibility for acts committed by these groups. In the same year, Arafat became the first representative of a nongovernmental organization to address a plenary session of the ], and his Arab rival King Hussein of Jordan, as well as other Arab heads of state recognised the PLO as "''the sole legitimate spokesman of the Palestinian people''". The PLO was admitted to full membership in the ] in ].

	~~The~~ PLO played an important part in the ]; ~~some~~ ] ] ~~allege~~ that ~~Arafat and~~ the PLO ~~were~~ responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens.		Israel claimed that the PLO had played an important part in the ]. Some ] ] claimed that the PLO was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens killed by Israel.

			Israel allied itself with the Lebanese Christians and conducted two major ]s of ]. In the ] in ], the Israeli military and South Lebanon Army (SLA) occupied a narrow strip of land, ostensibly as a security zone, and killed several thousand Lebanese and Palestinians. In the ] in ], Israel expanded its occupation to most of South Lebanon, but was eventually forced to retreat back to the previously occupied area in ]. During this invasion Israeli army killed about 18,000 Lebanese and Palestinians and helped the ] ] militia ] in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps about 2,750 Palestinian refugees, mostly civilians. ], Israeli Minister of Defense at the time, was found by the Israeli ] "personally responsible" for the massacre and was dismissed from his post; he is now Prime Minister of Israel.
	During the Civil War Arafat allied the PLO with the Muslim leftists, however, fearing a loss of power Syria's President Assad switched sides, and sent in his army to help the right-wing Christian Phalangists. The Civil War's first phase ended for Arafat with the siege and fall of the Palestinian refugee camp of ]. Arafat himself narrowly escaped with assistance from the Saudis and ]is.

	Israel, allying itself with the Lebanese Christians conducted two major offensives into Lebanon. In the first (] in ]), the ] and ] occupied a narrow strip of land, described as "the Security Zone". In the second, (] in ]), Israel expanded its occupation to most of South Lebanon, but was eventually retreated back to the Security Zone in ].
	It was during this Israeli invasion that Arafat began his personal war with Ariel Sharon. Sharon later said he had Arafat in his sights in Beiruit but chose not to kill him. Arafat himself narrowly escaped death on another occasion when, with a laser-guided ], the Israelis flattened an apartment block he had left moments before.

	The ] occurred during the second Israeli offensive into Lebanon. Between 460 and 3,500 Palestinian refugees were killed by Lebanese ] Christian ] militias (which were allowed into the refugee camps by Israeli forces following the assassination of Lebanon's Christian president ]). The Israeli offensive maneuvers into Lebanon and the Phalangist massacre of Palestinian civilians amplified the deep bitterness and mistrust between Palestinians and the then-Minister of Defense, ].

	Arafat was being attacked now on all sides the Israelis, Maronites, Phalangists and Syrians, indeed President Assad was urging Fatah members to rise up against the PLO. He found his only way out was through a European brokered safe passage which sent him to exile in ].

	=== Tunisia ===		=== Tunisia ===
			In September ], during the ]i invasion of Lebanon, the ] had brokered a cease-fire deal in which Arafat and the ] were allowed to leave ]. Arafat and his leadership moved to ], which remained his center of operations up until ].
	] ]]]
	In September ], during the ]i offensive into ], the ] and ]ans brokered a cease-fire deal in which Arafat and the ] were allowed to leave Lebanon; Arafat and his leadership eventually arrived in ], which remained his center of operations up until ].

			During the ], Arafat received assistance from Arab nations, which allowed him to reconstruct the Palestinian resistance movement in exile. After the spontaneous ] in ] of ], Arafat took control of the uprising.
	Arafat again narrowly survived an Israeli attack in 1985, as ] ]s bombed his headquarters in Tunis leaving 73 people dead; Arafat had gone out jogging that morning.

			On ], ], the PLO proclaimed the independent ], a government-in-exile for the Palestinians, which initially laid claim to the whole area of the ], rejecting the idea of partition.
	During the ], Arafat received assistance from ] and ], which allowed him to reconstruct the badly-battered PLO. This was particularly useful during the ] in ], ]. Altough the Intifada was a spontaneous burst of revolt, within weeks Arafat was in control of the revolt, and it was mainly because of ] forces in the ] that the civil unrest could continue for any length of time.
			However, in the ], ] address, Arafat declared acceptance of ], promised future recognition of ] and renounced "terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism" .

			The Arafat's recognition of Israel was dictated by the ] administration, which had insisted on the recognition as a necessary starting point in the ] peace negotiations.
	On ], ], the PLO proclaimed the independent ], a government-in-exile for the ]s which laid claim to the whole of Palestine as defined by the ], rejecting the idea of partition. In a ], ] address, Arafat accepted ], promised future recognition of Israel, and renounced "terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism" . Arafat's ] statement was encouraged by the ] administration, which insisted on the recognition of Israel as a necessary starting point in the ] peace negotiations. Arafat's statement indicated a shift from one of the PLO's primary aims — the destruction of Israel (as in the ]) — towards the establishment of two separate entities, an Israeli state within the 1949 armistice lines and a Palestinian state in the ] and the ]. However, on ], ], 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 ], an entity which laid claim to the whole of Palestine as defined by the ], rejecting the idea of partition.
			Arafat's statement indicated a shift from one of the PLO's primary aims -- liberation of the entire ] (which implicitly negates the validity of the proclamation of ]) -- towards the establishment of two separate entities, an Israeli state within the 1949 armistice lines and a Palestinian state in the areas assigned to Palestinians by the ].
			On ], ], Arafat was elected president of the proclaimed State of Palestine by the governing body of the PLO.

			Subsequently, during the ] Madrid Conference Israel began direct negotiations with the PLO for the first time.
	In ] Arafat married ], a ] ] ] working for the PLO in Tunis, who converted to ] before marrying him.

			In ] Arafat opposed the ]-led attack on ]. As a result the U.S. administration began boycotting him, which impeded the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations underway.
	During the ] Madrid Conference, Israel conducted open negotiations with the PLO for the first time. Prior to the ] of ], Arafat opposed the U.N. attack on ], alienating many of the Arab states, and leading to the U.S. disregarding his claims of being a partner for peace.

			In ] Arafat married Suha Tawil, a ] ] ] who converted to ].
	Arafat narrowly escaped death again in 1992 as his aircraft crash-landed during a Libyan sandstorm.

	=== Palestinian Authority ===		=== Palestinian Authority ===
	], ], and Arafat during the ] on ], ]]]		], ], and Arafat during the ] on ], ]]]

	In ~~the~~ ~~early~~ ~~1990s~~ ~~Arafat~~ ~~engaged~~ ~~the Israelis in a series of secret~~ ~~talks~~ and ~~negotiations~~ ~~which would enevitably~~ lead to the ] ], ~~which~~ ~~called~~ ~~for~~ ~~the~~ ~~implementation~~ of ] ~~self~~ ~~rule~~ in the ] and ] ~~over~~ a ~~five~~ ~~year~~ ~~period~~. ~~The~~ ~~following~~ ~~year~~ he was awarded the ] along with ] and ]. ~~Arafat returned back to Palestine a hero to some but a traitor and collaborator to others.~~		The ] continued pressing both sides to negotiate and this pressure lead to the ] ]. The main points of this agreement were mutual recognition of ] and the ], ]'s withdrawal from the ] and ] and implementation of ] self rule. For this peace initiative Arafat was awarded the ] in ], along with Israeli leaders ] and ].

	In ], Arafat ~~moved~~ to the Palestinian Authority (PA) ~~—~~ the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords~~. In ] ] he had a daughter ], named after his deceased mother~~.		On ], ], Arafat was elected president of the ] (PA), the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords.
			He received an overwhelming 87% majority ovf vote (the other candidate was ]).
			Independent international observers reported the elections to have been free and fair.
			Further elections were announced for ] ], but were later postponed, reportedly because of inability to campaign due to Israeli military attacks and restrictions on freedom of movement in the territories occupied by Israel.

			In mid-1996, following multiple suicide bombings in which scores of Israelis were killed, and Israeli attacks in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed, ] was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Palestinian-Israeli relations grew even more hostile as a consequence of continued attacks and counter-attacks. Netanyahu actively obstructed the transition to Palestinian statehood outlined in the Oslo accords. The U.S. President ] intervened in ], arranging a meeting with the two leaders. The resulting ] of ], ] presented steps to be taken by the Israeli government and the PA to implement the Oslo accords.
	On ], ], Arafat was elected president of the PA, with an overwhelming 87% majority (the only other candidate was ]). Independent international observers reported the elections to have been free and fair. However, some critics allege that because most of the opposition movements chose not to participate in the elections the elections were not truly democratic. Further elections were announced for January 2002, but were later postponed, purportedly because of inability to campaign due to ] incursions and restrictions on freedom of movement in the ] and ].

			However, Israel made no visible attempts to live up to either the Oslo or the Wye River agreements; to the contrary, Israel steadily expanded its occupation, doubled the population in ] ] and kept obstructing Palestinian self-rule.
	Since ], Arafat's title as Palestinian Authority leader has been the Arabic word ''ra'is'' (or "head", the title translation varies: ] translates it as "chairman" and the ] uses this term, while ]s translate it as "president" and the ] uses this term.)

			Arafat continued negotiations with the next Israeli Prime Minister ]. During the ] negotiations Barak offered a Palestinian state in parts of the ] and ], with East Jerusalem as its capital, a return of an unspecified "limited" number of refugees and some unspecified compensation for the rest. However, the proposed ] areas did not include all of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and were not contiguous but fragmented and surrounded by Israeli occupation colonies, and criss-crossed by numerous checkpoints and Jewish-only roads. The resolution of the important issue of refugees was unclear and various other issues, such as water rights were unresolved. Despites Clinton's pressure, Arafat rejected the offer. Several months later, in the new round of talks at ], ], Barak made a more favorable offer which was viewed positively by Palestinians. However, in the meantime Barak lost his re-election bid and the incoming Prime Minister ] blocked further negotiations.
	In mid-1996, following multiple suicide bus bombings, in which scores of Israeli civilians were killed, ] was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Palestinian-Israeli relations grew even more hostile as a consequence of continued incidents. Benjamin Netanyahu tried to obstruct the transition to Palestinian statehood outlined in the Israel-PLO accord. In 1998 U.S. President ] intervened, arranging meeting with the two leaders. The resulting ] of ] ] detailed the steps to be taken by the Israeli government and PLO to complete the peace process.
			In ], after a provocative visit by Ariel Sharon to the ] compound considered sacred by Muslims, violence broke out, marking the beginning of the ].

	Arafat continued negotiations with Netanyahu's successor, ], at the ]. 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 immense pressure placed by American President Bill Clinton, Barak offered Arafat a Palestinian state in parts of the ] and all of the ] with an outlying suburb of ] as its capital. The final proposal proffered by Barak would have meant Israeli annexation of 10% of the West Bank (largely encompassing current settlement blocs) in exchange for a much smaller swathe of land in the ] desert. Many Palestinians claim that accepting the offer would have the effect of reducing the Palestinian state to what they characterized as "]:" scattered pieces of territory separated by highways for Israelis, security checkpoints and ]. In addition, under the Israeli proposal, Israel would control the Palestinian state's water resources, borders and customs, and a further 10% of the West Bank under nominal Palestinian sovereignty (chiefly along the ]ian border). Also included in the offer was a return of a limited number of ] and a compensation for the rest. In a move widely criticized abroad and even by a member of his negotiating team and Cabinet, Nabil Amr, Arafat rejected Barak's offer and refused to make a counter-offer and when the ], or Second Palestinian Intifada, was launched (2000-present) the day after a visit by ] to the ] (on the]) the peace process completely collapsed. After the start of the Second Intifada, Arafat's wife moved to live with her mother and daughter in ].

	== Recent news and commentary ==		== Recent news and commentary ==
	Arafat's long personal and political survival was taken by most Western commentators as a sign of his mastery of ] and his skill as a tactician, given the extremely dangerous nature of politics of the ] and the frequency of ]s. Some commentators believe his personal survival was largely due to ]'s fear that he could become a ] for the ] cause if he were to be assassinated or even just arrested by Israel.

			Arafat's long personal and political survival was considered by many as a sign of his mastery of asymmetric warfare and his skill as a tactician, given the extremely dangerous nature of politics of the ] and the frequency of ]s.
	Arafat's ability to adapt to new tactical and political situations was perhaps exemplified by the rise of the ] and ] organizations, fundamentalist groups using Islamic ] to motivate suicide attacks against ]. In the ], these groups seemed to threaten Arafat's capacity to hold together a unified secular nationalist organization with a goal of statehood. They appeared to be out of Arafat's influence and control, and were actively fighting with Arafat's ] group. Some allege that activities of these groups were tolerated by Arafat as a means of applying pressure on Israel (see ].) Some Israeli government officials opined in ] that the ]'s faction ] began attacks on Israel to compete with ]. Some sources claim that frequent Israeli military strikes against the terrorist targets in Palestinian Authority have made it difficult for Arafat's security infrastructure to effectively counter the increasing influence of groups like ]. As well, spokesmen for ] and ] have at times publicly supported Arafat, suggesting that the common goals loom large over infighting between these factions.
			Some commentators believe his personal survival is largely due to the Israel's fear that he could become a ] for the ] cause if he were to be assassinated or even just arrested by ].

			Arafat's ability to adapt to new political situations is shown by his handling of the rise of the ] and ] organizations, which were using religious motives to inspire resistance against Israel's occupation.
	On ], ], the ]i government released a report, based in part on documents allegedly captured during the ]i occupation of Arafat's ] headquarters, with copies of papers apparently signed by Arafat authorizing funding for the ]' activities. These documents, however, drew skepticism from various quarters because the ] military had forcefully prevented any independent observers or reporters from observing the operation.
			In the ], these groups seemed to threaten Arafat's capacity to hold together a unified secular nationalist organization with a goal of statehood.
			They appeared to be out of Arafat's influence and control, and were actively fighting with Arafat's ] group.
			Israel claimed that activities of these groups were tolerated by Arafat as a means of applying pressure on Israel, while many argue
			that it was Israel's frequent strikes against the Palestinian Authority and Arafat's security infrastructure that made it difficult for Arafat to counter the increasing influence of militant groups.
			However, despite all the differences and infighting, spokesmen for Hamas and Islamic Jihad had at times publicly supported Arafat, suggesting that the common Palestinian goal of freedom looms large over infighting between various factions.

	~~Others~~ ~~point~~ ~~to the constraints of the political situation, and argue~~ that Arafat could neither condemn nor constrain the ~~tactics~~ ~~employed;~~ and that any attempt to do so would endanger his rule or his life~~, or more dangerously begin a disastrous civil war~~. Furthermore, ending violent resistance activities would amount to a de facto surrender to ], ~~which~~ ~~has~~ ~~access~~ to ~~weapons~~ ~~that~~ ~~Palestinians~~ so ~~far~~ ~~lack~~. ~~The~~ use of suicide bombers appears to be a permanent feature of ~~this~~ ~~conflict~~. The number and intensity of attacks rose sharply in the first months of ].		Some analysts argued that Arafat could neither condemn nor constrain the militant tactics and that any attempt to do so would have endanger his rule or his life. Furthermore, ending violent resistance activities would amount to a de facto surrender to Israel because Israel had never ceded anything, and actually continually expanded its occupation during periods of nonviolent resistance. Due to a huge imbalance in military power between Israel and Palestinians, the use of suicide bombers appears to be a permanent feature of Palestinian resistance. The number and intensity of attacks rose sharply in the first months of ].

	In ], the Arab League made an offer to recognize Israel in exchange for Israeli retreat from all territories captured in the Six-Day War and statehood for Palestine ~~and Arafat's Palestinian Authority~~. ~~Supporters of this declaration~~ saw this offer, which included recognition of Israel by the Arab states, as a historic opportunity for comprehensive peace in the region, ~~while~~ ~~critics~~ of this offer ~~say~~ that it would constitute a ~~heavy~~ blow to Israel's security, while not ~~even~~ guaranteeing ~~Israel~~ the cessation of suicide bombing attacks. ~~Israel ignored the facetious offer.~~		In ], the Arab League made an offer to recognize Israel in exchange for Israeli retreat from all territories captured in the Six-Day War and statehood for Palestine. Many saw this offer, which included recognition of Israel by the Arab states, as a historic opportunity for comprehensive peace in the region. However, the Israeli government of ] ignored this offer and made visible efforts to neutralize and sidetrack this proposal, with some Israeli officials claiming that it would constitute a blow to Israel's security while not guaranteeing the cessation of suicide bombing attacks.

	~~This~~ was followed by a ~~terrorist~~ attack ~~carried~~ ~~out~~ ~~by ] terrorists which~~ led to ~~the deaths of~~ more than 135 Israelis. ~~], who previously pressured Arafat to speak strongly in Arabic against suicide bombings,~~ ~~then~~ ~~declared~~ that Arafat "assisted the terrorists and made himself an enemy of Israel and irrelevant to any peace negotiations". This was followed by the major Israeli invasion of the West Bank, during which ] killed hundreds of ]s and razed entire city blocks (see "]".)		Israel's refusal of the Arab offer was followed by a Palestinian attack on Israel that led to more than 135 Israelis dead. Ariel Sharon subsequently stated that Arafat "assisted the terrorists and made himself an enemy of Israel and irrelevant to any peace negotiations". This was followed by the major Israeli invasion of the West Bank, during which Israel killed hundreds of Palestinians and razed entire city blocks in ] (see "]".)

	~~Persistent attempts~~ by ~~the Israeli government~~ to ~~identify~~ another Palestinian leader to ~~deal~~ ~~with~~ had failed; and Arafat ~~was~~ enjoying the support of ~~groups~~ ~~that~~, ~~given~~ ~~his~~ ~~own history,~~ would normally have been quite wary ~~of dealing with him or~~ of supporting him. ~~] emerged as a leader during the Al-Aqsa intifada, but Israel had him arrested and sentenced to 4 life terms.~~		Attempts by Israel to find another Palestinian leader more pliable by Israel had failed, and Arafat continued enjoying the support of the majority of Palestinians, including groups that would normally have been quite wary of supporting him.
			So, Israel set out to isolate him, quite literally, by surrounding Arafat's headquarters and effectively imprisoning him there.
	Arafat was finally allowed to leave his compound on ], ] after intensive negotiations led to a settlement; six militants wanted by Israel, which considers them terrorists, 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 Palestinian Authority. Rather, a combination of British and American security personnel would ensure that the wanted men remained imprisoned in ]. With that, and a promise that he would issue a call in Arabic to the Palestinians to halt attacks on Israelis, Arafat was released. He issued such a call on ], ], but, as was the case before, his public call to halt attacks was ignored.

			Israel held Arafat in virtual arrest in his ] headquarters for his last three years of life, by announcing that if he left the compound he would be barred from returning. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hinted on several occassions that Arafat could be assassinated by Israel. In ] Israel offically declared a decision to "in principle, remove Arafat"; because of Israel's refusal to state what "remove" meant this was taken by some as a veiled assassination threat.
	On ] ], ] President ] stated regarding Yasser Arafat: "The real problem is that there is no leadership that is able to say 'help us establish a state and we will fight terror and answer the needs of the Palestinians'". .

	==~~Illness~~ ~~and death~~==		==Financial dealings==
			As the leader of ] resistance Arafat was the subject of ]i campaigns to discredit him.
	''Main article: ]''
			Arafat was occasionally criticised by some, including Arab media, alleging corruption of the Palestinian Authority he headed.
			The ] business magazine "Forbes", which frequently publishes of its management, placed Arafat as sixth on its ] list "Kings, Queens and Despots" , estimating his personal wealth to "at least $300 million", without indicating its source for this claim.

			However, as Arafat lived frugally and had no known major possessions, these claims appear to have been based solely on Arafat's control over Palestinian public-funds.
	First reports of Arafat's treatment by his doctors, for what his spokesman said was ']' came on ], ]. His condition deteriorated in the following days and he became unconsious for a short period. Following visits by other doctors, and agreement by ], Arafat was taken on ] to the ] near ]. On ] he lapsed into a gradually deepening coma. Suffering progressive organ failure, he was kept alive on ] machines. Arafat was pronounced dead at 02:30 ] on ] at age 75. The cause of his illness has not been made public.

	Israel refused Arafat's wish to be buried in or near ]. Following a state funeral in ], attended by many Arab leaders, Arafat was laid to rest on ] within his former headquarters in ] in the ].

	On ], Arafat's official functions were transferred. Pending elections, Speaker ] succeeded Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority. Former PM ] became leader of the PLO and Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddoumi became head of ]. ] remained as Prime Minster and took additional security responsibilities.

			In ] the ] (IMF) conducted an audit of the Palestinian Authority and stated that Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account controlled by Arafat and the PA Chief Economic Financial Advisor. The IMF did not claim that there were any improprieties and it specifically stated that most of the funds have been used to invest in Palestinian assets, both internally and abroad. An investigation of PA finances by ] also found no improprieties.
	==Relations with the Arab world==

	Many in Europe and the United States assume that all Arab governments supported Yasser Arafat, or assume the Arab nations have united policies and views. In contrast, Arafat had a mixed relationship at best with the leaders of other Arab nations. At various times he has come under withering criticism from Arab leaders and press. In the last few years growing disenchantment with Arafat and his peers has surfaced within the general Arab press. However, he remains by far the most popular Arab leader amoung the general populace.

			==World support ==
	:Arab Times (Kuwait): 'Mr Arafat should quit his position because he is the head of a corrupt authority. There is no point for him to remain in politics... He has destroyed Palestine. He has led it to terrorism, death and a hopeless situation... All Arab leaders know this fact. It won't be possible for us to gain from the Middle East road map for peace if this man remains in power.'
			Arafat enjoyed generally strong support throughout the world, and especially among ] and ] nations, as a symbol of ] resistance against the ]i ].
			Arafat was by far the most popular Arab leader among the general populace of Arab nations.

			The ] government, which regularly aligns itself with ], hesitantly supported Arafat largely for strategic and diplomatic reasons. After ] became ] president and ] occured the minimal U.S. support declined precipitiously and in ] ] Bush called for replacement of Arafat. The U.S., however, repeatedly warned Israel not to harm Arafat.
	:BBC quoted a Jenin Martyrs' Brigade spokesman: 'With all due respect to President Arafat, the Palestinian Authority cannot continue being monopolised by and his relatives...we have our own ways to show our rejection.'

			==Illness and death==
	:Al-Quds Al-Araby (London): 'What is happening in Gaza is a healthy phenomenon because it is a revolution against corruption and the corrupt... This is a warning not only to Mr Arafat... but to all Arab regimes which subjugate their people by turning a deaf ear to their calls for comprehensive change.'

			On ], ], Arafat was reported to be ill "from ]". On ] he became unconscious for a short period during a meeting.
	Earlier, ]i had deemed him a betrayer of the Palestinian cause and had given his support to Arafat's biggest Palestinian enemy, Sabri Al-Banna (]), whose Fatah-Revolutionary Council split from the PLO in 1974.
			On ], after visits by other doctors Arafat was taken to a military hospital near ], ] for further testing.
			According to some reports, on ] Arafat lapsed into a gradually deepening ] and after suffering progressive organ failure he was placed on life-support. He died at the hospital on ], ], around 2:30am ], at age 75. The cause of his illness and death has not been made public.

			] refused Arafat's wish to be buried in or near ]. Following a state funeral in ], attended by many ] leaders, Arafat was laid to rest on ] within his former headquarters in ] in the ].

			On ], Arafat's official functions were transferred. Pending elections, Speaker ] succeeded Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority. Former Prime Minister ] became leader of the PLO and Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddoumi became head of ]. ] remained as Prime Minister and took additional security responsibilities.

			== Statements by World Leaders ==
	Arafat's support from Arab leaders tended to increase whenever he was pressured by ]; for example, in ] when Israel declared it had taken the decision, in principle, to remove him from the Israeli-controlled ].
			A number of world leaders made statements summarizing Arafat's life and legacy:

			] ] said: "For nearly four decades, he expressed and symbolized in his person the national aspirations of the Palestinian people".
	==Financial dealings==
	In ] of ] the ]i Military Intelligence Chief claimed that Arafat's personal wealth was USD $1.3 billion , though he provided no substantiation for this claim.
	The ] business magazine "Forbes" ranked Arafat as sixth on its ] list "Kings, Queens and Despots" , estimating his personal wealth to "at least $300 million", without indicating its source for this claim.

			The ] President ] said: "My first reaction is: God bless his soul. My second reacton is that we will continue to work for a free Palestinian state that's at peace with Israel."
	In ] a team of ] accountants — hired by Arafat's own finance ministry — began examing Arafat's finances. The team determined 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 U.S. and the Cayman Islands. 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. And none of these dealings were made public". Arafat appeared to use his wealth to improve his standing and influence; his own lifestyle remained quite frugal.


			]n President ] said: "A great political leader of international significance".
	In 2003 the ] (IMF) conducted an audit of the Palestinian Authority and stated that Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account controlled by Arafat and the PA Chief Economic Financial Advisor. The IMF did not claim that there were any improprieties and it specifically stated that most of the funds have been used to invest in Palestinian assets, both internally and abroad.

			] President ] said: "An outstanding leader of the Palestinian cause and... an outstanding politician.".
	An investigation by ] of claims of misuse of EU funds by the Palestinian Authority has found no evidence EU funds being diverted to terrorist activities. However, the EU has insisted on "deepening reform in the PA and improving its financial management and audit capacities" as "the best preventive strategy against the misuse of funds and corruption in the PA", and has made further funding contingent on these reforms.


			] Prime Minister ] said: "President Arafat came to symbolise the Palestinian national movement. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 jointly with Yitzhak Rabin in recognition of their efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. He led his people to a historic acceptance and the need for a two-state solution.
	Claims by unnamed sources in the PA Finance Ministry stated that Arafat's wife, Suha, receives a stipend of $100,000 each month from the PA budget. In an interview with the London-based newspaper Al Hayat, Mrs. Arafat accused ]i Prime Minister ] of spreading rumors about money-laundering to distract media attention away from corruption allegations against him.
			That goal - of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel - is one that we must continue to work tirelessly to achieve."
	In October ], French government prosecutors opened an ] probe of Suha Arafat after ] alerted the prosecutors to transfers of nearly $1.27 million each with some regularity from ] to Mrs. Arafat's accounts in ].

			] President ] said: "With him disappears a man of courage and conviction who for 40 years incarnated the Palestinians' fight for recognition of their national rights."
	== Statements regarding Arafat's death ==

	''See also ]''

			=== Statements by Palestinian leaders ===
	On ], ], the day of Arafat's death, a number of world leaders made statements summarizing his life and legacy:

			Palestinian cabinet minister ] said: "Arafat's legacy will be the one, the leader, the president who united the Palestinian people, the leader who kept the Palestinian national identity from extinction, the man who initiated the peace of the brave, the man who united the Palestinian people and it's his legacy of peace. It's the determination today that we continue the path of freedom and independence and peace, the path of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."
	=== Statements by World Leaders ===

			], spokeperson for the ] said: "The history will register his historic stance in Camp David when he rejected the huge Israeli and American pressures exercised on him and kept clinging to the goal of independent state, Jerusalem and the right to return. The march of president Arafat has some major achievements and some other failures."
	] President ] called Arafat "a man of courage and conviction".

			], ] leader said: "I do not hesitate accusing Israel of killing Yasser Arafat and I call on my brothers in Fatah and in the PNA not to keep silent in this regard. I call on my brothers at Fatah movement to reinforce the unity of the movement since it is the interest of Hamas and the entire Palestinian people that Fatah be united and strong. I call them also to avoid any dispute and in return we in Hamas and the entire Palestinian people will reinforce our national unity."
	]n President ]: Arafat had given hope to millions "by instilling in them the knowledge and consciousness that despite current difficulties, they hold the gift of freedom in their hands".

			Arafats personal adviser, Jebril Rjoub, said: "The term of President Arafat has ended, however, the commitments and loyalty to his march concerned with the establishment of the state and the reinforcement of our identity are now the responsibility of the entire Palestinian people."
	]n Prime Minister ] said: "I think history will judge him very harshly for not having seized the opportunity in the year 2000 to embrace the offer that was very courageously made by the then Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, which involved the Israelis agreeing to 90 per cent of what the Palestinians had wanted."


			=== Statements of Israeli leaders ===
	] Prime Minister ] told ]: "The most important thing is to make sure we reinvigorate the peace process because there is misery for Palestinians, there is misery for Israelis who suffer terrorist activity." In a tribute to Yasser Arafat he expressed his condolences to Arafat's family and the Palestinian people, declaring: "President Arafat came to symbolise the Palestinian national movement He led his people to an historic acceptance of the need for a two-state solution."

			Israeli Prime Minister ] said: "The recent events could be a historic turning point for the Middle East. Israel is a country that seeks peace and will continue its efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians without delay."
	Former U.S. President ] on Thursday offered condolences to Palestinians after the death of Yasser Arafat but said their leader had missed the opportunity to create lasting Middle East peace in 2000.

			Israeli Labor Party leader ] said: "There is no doubt that with the death of Yasser Arafat an era has ended... for good or bad. The biggest mistake of Arafat was when he turned to terror. His greatest achievements were when he tried to build peace."
	=== Statements of Israeli leaders ===

			Israeli right-wing groups were uniform in welcoming Arafat's death.
	To Israelis, Arafat was an arch-] and later, an obstacle to peace. The general public atmosphere regarding his death was one of relief and joy over the death of a bitter and cruel enemy. Israeli officials, however, reacted with restraint.
			Israeli Justice Minister ] said: "(It is) good that the world is rid of him... The sun is shining in the Middle East."

			==Quotes==
	Israeli Prime Minister ] said: "The recent events could be a historic turning point for the Middle East. Israel is a country that seeks peace and will continue its efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians without delay."
			These are some of the notable statements Yasser Arafat made over the years:

			]: "Zionism is an embodiment of neo-Nazism ..., intellectual terrorism and racial exploitation."
	Israeli opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, ] sais: "There is no doubt that with the death of Yasser Arafat an era has ended... for good or bad. The biggest mistake of Arafat was when he turned to terror. His greatest achievements were when he tried to build peace."

			], ]: "I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand." - .
	] Minister ] was the sharpest: "(It is) good that the world is rid of him... The sun is shining in the Middle East."

			], ]: "Those who call us terrorists wish to prevent world public opinion from discovering the truth about us and from seeing the justice on our faces. They seek to bide the terrorism and tyranny of their acts, and our own posture of self-defence."
	] Chairman ] said: "Today a heavy cloud has been removed from the values of life, freedom and liberty .. is gone, but his teachings have sunk like poison into the hearts of his people, and it will take many years to heal this wound ... The Palestinians must now strive to return to a culture of life, justice and compassion, so that in the future, we will be able to speak together to achieve peace and quiet."
			.

			]: "Neither (I) nor anyone for that matter can stop the Intifada (Palestinian uprising) ... The intifada will come to an end only when practical and tangible steps have been taken towards the achievement of our national aims."
	=== Statements by Palestinian leaders ===

			], ]: "This child, who is grasping the stone, facing the tank, is it not the greatest message to the world when that hero becomes a martyr? We are proud of them" (Palestinian Authority Television)
	Palestinian cabinet minister ] said: "Arafat's legacy will be the one, the leader, the president who united the Palestinian people, the leader who kept the Palestinian national identity from extinction, the man who initiated the peace of the brave, the man who united the Palestinian people and it's his legacy of peace. It's the determination today that we continue the path of freedom and independence and peace, the path of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

			], ]: "I swear to God, I will see , whether as a martyr or alive. Please, God, give me the honor of becoming a martyr in the fight for Jerusalem."
	==Bibliography==
	*Aburish, Said K., ''Arafat: From Defender to Dictator'', Bloomsbury Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1582340005
	*Bukay, David, ''Arafat, the Palestinians and Israel'', Sussex Academic Press, 2004. ISBN 1845190106
	*Downing, David, ''Arafat (Leading Lives Series)'', Heinemann Library, 2002. ISBN 0431138656 children's book
	*Ferber, Elizabeth, ''Yasir Arafat: A Life of War and Peace'', Millbrook Press, 1995. ISBN 1562945858
	*Gowers, Andrew and Tony Walker, ''Arafat: The Biography'', Virgin Books, 2003. ISBN 1852279249
	*Gowers, Andrew and Tony Walker, ''Behind the Myth: Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Revolution'', W.H. Allen, 1990. ISBN 1852272856
	*Hart, Alan, ''Arafat'', Sidgwick & Jackson, 1994. ISBN 0283062207
	*Hart, Alan, ''Arafat: A Political Biography'', Indiana University, 1989. ISBN 0253205166
	*Hart, Alan, ''Arafat: Terrorist or Peacemaker?'', Sidgwick & Jackson, 1984. ISBN 0283990082
	*Headlam, George, ''Yasser Arafat'', Lerner Publications, 2003. ISBN 0822550040
	*Karsh, Efraim Karsh, ''Arafat's War: The Man and His Battle for Israeli Conquest'', Grove Press, 2003. ISBN 0802117589
	*Kiernan, Thomas, ''Arafat, the Man and the Myth'', Norton, 1976. ISBN 0393075036
	*Mishal, Shaul, ''Palestine Liberation Organization Under Arafat: Between the Gun and the Olive Branch'', Yale University Press, 1986. ISBN 0300037090
	*Rubin, Barry M. and Judith Colp Rubin, ''Yasir Arafat: A Political Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 0195166892
	*Rubinstein, Danny and Dan Leon ''The Mystery of Arafat'', Steerforth Press, 1995. ISBN 1883642108
	*Swisher, Clayton E., ''The Truth about Camp David: The Untold Story about Arafat, Barak, Clinton, and the Collapse of the Middle East Peace Process'', Nation Books, 2004. ISBN 1560256230
	*Wallach, Janet and John Wallach, ''Arafat: In the Eyes of the Beholder'', Carol Pub Group, 1990. ISBN 9993251305
	*Williams, Colleen Madonna Flood, ''Yasir Arafat (Major World Leaders)'', Chelsea House Publications, 2002. ISBN 0791069419 children's book

			], ]: "This is my homeland; no one can kick me out." Yasser Arafat's reply to ]'s threat to expel him from the occupied territories.
	==External links==
	{{wikiquote}}
	=== Biographies and Profiles ===
	*
	*
	*
	*
	* from the Associated Press
	*, from Times Online, UK
	* from
	*'' ] Interview of Mahmoud Abbas (] Issue)
	*
	*
	* (Boston Globe column after Afarat's death)

	=== ~~Directories =~~==		==See Also==
			*]
	* directory category
			*]
	* directory category
			*]
	* directory category

	* directory category
			==External links==
			*
			* , Times Online, UK
			* from Times Online, UK
			*
			*
			*
			* from the ]
			* -- ]
			*
			*'''' ] Interview of Mahmoud Abbas (] Issue)

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Revision as of 05:24, 14 November 2004

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Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ياسر عرفات) (August, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ar-Rauf al-Qudwah al-Husayni, also known as Abu Ammar) was the President of the Palestinian Authority (leader since 1993, elected in 1996); leader of Fatah and Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (since 1969), and co-winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

Biography

Early life

Arafat was born to a Palestinian family. His father was a merchant from a family that had some Egyptian ancestry. His mother was from a prominent Palestinian family in Jerusalem. According to Arafat and other sources, he was born in Jerusalem on August 4, 1929 . His date and place of birth have been disputed; some sources contend that he was born in Cairo on August 24, 1929. .

Arafat’s childhood was divided between Cairo and Jerusalem. Arafat attended the University of King Faud I (later renamed Cairo University) and sought to understand Judaism and Zionism by engaging in discussions with Jews and reading publications by Theodor Herzl and other Zionists .

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Arafat left the university and, along with other Palestinians, sought to enter Palestine to fight for Palestinian independence. He was disarmed and turned back by the Egyptian army which did not allow poorly trained partisans to enter the war zone.

After returning to the university, Arafat joined the Muslim Brotherhood and served as president of the Union of Palestinian Students from 1952 to 1956. In 1956, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Arafat served as a second lieutenant in the Egyptian army during the Suez Crisis.

After Suez, Arafat moved to Kuwait, where he worked as an engineer and later set up his own contracting firm.

Fatah and the PLO

In 1957 in Kuwait, Arafat with a group of refugees from Gaza helped found Fatah, an organization dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Fatah's first commando operation was an unsuccessful attempt to blow up an Israeli water pump station in 1964.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed in 1964 as a political organization unifying all resistance groups with the common goal of liberation of Palestine and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

After the Six-Day War, Israel started attacking Palestinian resistance organizations. In 1968, Israeli army attacked Fatah in the Jordanian village of Al-Karameh; 150 Palestinians and 29 Israeli soldiers were killed. Despite heavy losses, Palestinians considered this battle a victory because the Israeli army ultimately withdrew. This was a turning point for the resistance movement because it showed that resistance can effect changes. Many Palestinians regarded Fatah and Arafat as heroes for daring to confront the much more powerful Israeli army, and many young Palestinians began joining the ranks of Fatah. Fatah soon became dominant faction within the PLO and in 1969 Arafat was named chairman of the PLO. Arafat became commander in chief of the Palestinian Revolutionary Forces in 1971 and the head of the PLO's political department in 1973.

Jordan

In late 1960s, tensions rose between Palestinian resistance groups and the Jordanian government. Palestinian groups had managed to control several strategic positions in Jordan, including the oil refinery near Az Zarq. Jordan considered this a growing threat to its sovereignty and security and attempted to disarm the Palestinian militias. Open fighting between Jordan and Palestinian resistance groups erupted in June of 1970.

Arab governments attempted to negotiate a peaceful solution, but the Jordan government responded to continued militant activites with escalation in repressive measures; on September 16 Jordanian King Hussein declared martial law. On that same day Arafat became supreme commander of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA), the regular military force of the PLO. In the ensuing civil war the PLO had the active support of Syria, which sent around 200 tanks into Jordan to aid the PLO. The U.S and Israel also got involved: U.S. Navy dispatched its Sixth Fleet to the eastern Mediterranean, and Israel deployed its troops to aid King Hussein if necessary. By September 24 the Jordanian army achieved dominance, and the PLA agreed to a series of ceasefires . See also History of Jordan and Black September.

Lebanon

From Jordan, Arafat and the PLO relocated to Lebanon. Because of Lebanon's weak central government, the PLO was able to operate independently of Lebanese authorities. During the Israeli attacks on Lebanon the PLO began launching artillery strikes and guerilla attacks on Israel from Lebanon.

In September of 1972 the Palestinian group Black September kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games; all hostages and most hostage takers were eventually killed. This attack was widely condemned and Arafat publicly disassociated himself from such attacks. In 1974 Arafat ordered the PLO to stop acts of violence outside Israel and Israel occupied territories. That year Arafat became the first representative of a nongovernmental organization to address a plenary session of the UN General Assembly.

The Fatah movement continued to launch attacks against Israeli targets. In the late 1970s several new leftist organizations were formed in Palestine and carried out attacks on Israel and Israeli occupation colonies. Israel claimed that Arafat was in ultimate control over these organizations, but Arafat denied responsibility for acts of other groups.

In 1974, Arab states declared the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinians. The PLO was admitted to full membership in the Arab League in 1976.

Israel claimed that the PLO had played an important part in the Lebanese Civil War. Some Lebanese Christians claimed that the PLO was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens killed by Israel.

Israel allied itself with the Lebanese Christians and conducted two major invasions of Lebanon. In the First invasion in 1978, the Israeli military and South Lebanon Army (SLA) occupied a narrow strip of land, ostensibly as a security zone, and killed several thousand Lebanese and Palestinians. In the Second invasion in 1982, Israel expanded its occupation to most of South Lebanon, but was eventually forced to retreat back to the previously occupied area in 1985. During this invasion Israeli army killed about 18,000 Lebanese and Palestinians and helped the Christian Phalangist militia massacre in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps about 2,750 Palestinian refugees, mostly civilians. Ariel Sharon, Israeli Minister of Defense at the time, was found by the Israeli Kahan Commission "personally responsible" for the massacre and was dismissed from his post; he is now Prime Minister of Israel.

Tunisia

In September 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the U.S. had brokered a cease-fire deal in which Arafat and the PLO were allowed to leave Lebanon. Arafat and his leadership moved to Tunisia, which remained his center of operations up until 1993.

During the 1980s, Arafat received assistance from Arab nations, which allowed him to reconstruct the Palestinian resistance movement in exile. After the spontaneous First Palestinian uprising in December of 1987, Arafat took control of the uprising.

On November 15, 1988, the PLO proclaimed the independent State of Palestine, a government-in-exile for the Palestinians, which initially laid claim to the whole area of the British Mandate of Palestine, rejecting the idea of partition. However, in the December 13, 1988 address, Arafat declared acceptance of UN Security Council Resolution 242, promised future recognition of Israel and renounced "terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism" .

The Arafat's recognition of Israel was dictated by the U.S. administration, which had insisted on the recognition as a necessary starting point in the Camp David peace negotiations. Arafat's statement indicated a shift from one of the PLO's primary aims -- liberation of the entire Palestine (which implicitly negates the validity of the proclamation of State of Israel) -- towards the establishment of two separate entities, an Israeli state within the 1949 armistice lines and a Palestinian state in the areas assigned to Palestinians by the U.N.. On April 2, 1989, Arafat was elected president of the proclaimed State of Palestine by the governing body of the PLO.

Subsequently, during the 1991 Madrid Conference Israel began direct negotiations with the PLO for the first time.

In 1991 Arafat opposed the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. As a result the U.S. administration began boycotting him, which impeded the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations underway.

In 1990 Arafat married Suha Tawil, a Palestinian Christian Catholic who converted to Islam.

Palestinian Authority

The U.S. continued pressing both sides to negotiate and this pressure lead to the 1993 Oslo Accords. The main points of this agreement were mutual recognition of Israel and the PLO, Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and implementation of Palestinian self rule. For this peace initiative Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, along with Israeli leaders Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

On January 20, 1996, Arafat was elected president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords. He received an overwhelming 87% majority ovf vote (the other candidate was Samiha Khalil). Independent international observers reported the elections to have been free and fair. Further elections were announced for January 2002, but were later postponed, reportedly because of inability to campaign due to Israeli military attacks and restrictions on freedom of movement in the territories occupied by Israel.

In mid-1996, following multiple suicide bombings in which scores of Israelis were killed, and Israeli attacks in which hundreds of Palestinians were killed, Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Palestinian-Israeli relations grew even more hostile as a consequence of continued attacks and counter-attacks. Netanyahu actively obstructed the transition to Palestinian statehood outlined in the Oslo accords. The U.S. President Bill Clinton intervened in 1998, arranging a meeting with the two leaders. The resulting Wye River Memorandum of October 23, 1998 presented steps to be taken by the Israeli government and the PA to implement the Oslo accords.

However, Israel made no visible attempts to live up to either the Oslo or the Wye River agreements; to the contrary, Israel steadily expanded its occupation, doubled the population in occupation colonies and kept obstructing Palestinian self-rule.

Arafat continued negotiations with the next Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. During the Camp David negotiations Barak offered a Palestinian state in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, a return of an unspecified "limited" number of refugees and some unspecified compensation for the rest. However, the proposed Palestinian areas did not include all of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and were not contiguous but fragmented and surrounded by Israeli occupation colonies, and criss-crossed by numerous checkpoints and Jewish-only roads. The resolution of the important issue of refugees was unclear and various other issues, such as water rights were unresolved. Despites Clinton's pressure, Arafat rejected the offer. Several months later, in the new round of talks at Taba, Egypt, Barak made a more favorable offer which was viewed positively by Palestinians. However, in the meantime Barak lost his re-election bid and the incoming Prime Minister Ariel Sharon blocked further negotiations. In 2000, after a provocative visit by Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound considered sacred by Muslims, violence broke out, marking the beginning of the Second Palestinian Uprising.

Recent news and commentary

Arafat's long personal and political survival was considered by many 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. Some commentators believe his personal survival is largely due to the Israel's fear that he could become a martyr for the Palestinian cause if he were to be assassinated or even just arrested by Israel.

Arafat's ability to adapt to new political situations is shown by his handling of the rise of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad organizations, which were using religious motives to inspire resistance against Israel's occupation. In the 1990s, these groups seemed to threaten Arafat's capacity to hold together a unified secular nationalist organization with a goal of statehood. They appeared to be out of Arafat's influence and control, and were actively fighting with Arafat's Fatah group. Israel claimed that activities of these groups were tolerated by Arafat as a means of applying pressure on Israel, while many argue that it was Israel's frequent strikes against the Palestinian Authority and Arafat's security infrastructure that made it difficult for Arafat to counter the increasing influence of militant groups. However, despite all the differences and infighting, spokesmen for Hamas and Islamic Jihad had at times publicly supported Arafat, suggesting that the common Palestinian goal of freedom looms large over infighting between various factions.

Some analysts argued that Arafat could neither condemn nor constrain the militant tactics and that any attempt to do so would have endanger his rule or his life. Furthermore, ending violent resistance activities would amount to a de facto surrender to Israel because Israel had never ceded anything, and actually continually expanded its occupation during periods of nonviolent resistance. Due to a huge imbalance in military power between Israel and Palestinians, the use of suicide bombers appears to be a permanent feature of Palestinian resistance. The number and intensity of attacks rose sharply in the first months of 2002.

In March 2002, the Arab League made an offer to recognize Israel in exchange for Israeli retreat from all territories captured in the Six-Day War and statehood for Palestine. Many saw this offer, which included recognition of Israel by the Arab states, as a historic opportunity for comprehensive peace in the region. However, the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon ignored this offer and made visible efforts to neutralize and sidetrack this proposal, with some Israeli officials claiming that it would constitute a blow to Israel's security while not guaranteeing the cessation of suicide bombing attacks.

Israel's refusal of the Arab offer was followed by a Palestinian attack on Israel that led to more than 135 Israelis dead. Ariel Sharon subsequently stated that Arafat "assisted the terrorists and made himself an enemy of Israel and irrelevant to any peace negotiations". This was followed by the major Israeli invasion of the West Bank, during which Israel killed hundreds of Palestinians and razed entire city blocks in Jenin (see "Operation Defensive Shield".)

Attempts by Israel to find another Palestinian leader more pliable by Israel had failed, and Arafat continued enjoying the support of the majority of Palestinians, including groups that would normally have been quite wary of supporting him. So, Israel set out to isolate him, quite literally, by surrounding Arafat's headquarters and effectively imprisoning him there.

Israel held Arafat in virtual arrest in his Ramallah headquarters for his last three years of life, by announcing that if he left the compound he would be barred from returning. Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hinted on several occassions that Arafat could be assassinated by Israel. In 2003 Israel offically declared a decision to "in principle, remove Arafat"; because of Israel's refusal to state what "remove" meant this was taken by some as a veiled assassination threat.

Financial dealings

As the leader of Palestinian resistance Arafat was the subject of Israeli campaigns to discredit him. Arafat was occasionally criticised by some, including Arab media, alleging corruption of the Palestinian Authority he headed. The U.S. business magazine "Forbes", which frequently publishes pro-Israel opinions of its management, placed Arafat as sixth on its 2003 list "Kings, Queens and Despots" , estimating his personal wealth to "at least $300 million", without indicating its source for this claim.

However, as Arafat lived frugally and had no known major possessions, these claims appear to have been based solely on Arafat's control over Palestinian public-funds.

In 2003 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted an audit of the Palestinian Authority and stated that Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account controlled by Arafat and the PA Chief Economic Financial Advisor. The IMF did not claim that there were any improprieties and it specifically stated that most of the funds have been used to invest in Palestinian assets, both internally and abroad. An investigation of PA finances by European Union also found no improprieties.

World support

Arafat enjoyed generally strong support throughout the world, and especially among Arab and Third world nations, as a symbol of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. Arafat was by far the most popular Arab leader among the general populace of Arab nations.

The U.S government, which regularly aligns itself with Israel, hesitantly supported Arafat largely for strategic and diplomatic reasons. After George W. Bush became U.S. president and September 11 attacks occured the minimal U.S. support declined precipitiously and in June 2002 Bush called for replacement of Arafat. The U.S., however, repeatedly warned Israel not to harm Arafat.

Illness and death

On October 25, 2004, Arafat was reported to be ill "from flu". On October 28 he became unconscious for a short period during a meeting. On October 29, after visits by other doctors Arafat was taken to a military hospital near Paris, France for further testing. According to some reports, on November 3 Arafat lapsed into a gradually deepening coma and after suffering progressive organ failure he was placed on life-support. He died at the hospital on November 11, 2004, around 2:30am UTC, at age 75. The cause of his illness and death has not been made public.

Israel refused Arafat's wish to be buried in or near East Jerusalem. Following a state funeral in Cairo, attended by many Arab leaders, Arafat was laid to rest on November 12 within his former headquarters in Ramallah in the West Bank.

On November 11, Arafat's official functions were transferred. Pending elections, Speaker Rawhi Fattuh succeeded Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority. Former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas became leader of the PLO and Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddoumi became head of Fatah. Ahmed Qurei remained as Prime Minister and took additional security responsibilities.

Statements by World Leaders

A number of world leaders made statements summarizing Arafat's life and legacy:

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said: "For nearly four decades, he expressed and symbolized in his person the national aspirations of the Palestinian people".

The U.S. President George W. Bush said: "My first reaction is: God bless his soul. My second reacton is that we will continue to work for a free Palestinian state that's at peace with Israel."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "A great political leader of international significance".

Chinese President Hu Jintao said: "An outstanding leader of the Palestinian cause and... an outstanding politician.".

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "President Arafat came to symbolise the Palestinian national movement. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 jointly with Yitzhak Rabin in recognition of their efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. He led his people to a historic acceptance and the need for a two-state solution. That goal - of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel - is one that we must continue to work tirelessly to achieve."

French President Jacques Chirac said: "With him disappears a man of courage and conviction who for 40 years incarnated the Palestinians' fight for recognition of their national rights."

Statements by Palestinian leaders

Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said: "Arafat's legacy will be the one, the leader, the president who united the Palestinian people, the leader who kept the Palestinian national identity from extinction, the man who initiated the peace of the brave, the man who united the Palestinian people and it's his legacy of peace. It's the determination today that we continue the path of freedom and independence and peace, the path of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Maher A-Taher, spokeperson for the Popular Front for Palestine Liberation said: "The history will register his historic stance in Camp David when he rejected the huge Israeli and American pressures exercised on him and kept clinging to the goal of independent state, Jerusalem and the right to return. The march of president Arafat has some major achievements and some other failures."

Khaled Mesha'al, Hamas leader said: "I do not hesitate accusing Israel of killing Yasser Arafat and I call on my brothers in Fatah and in the PNA not to keep silent in this regard. I call on my brothers at Fatah movement to reinforce the unity of the movement since it is the interest of Hamas and the entire Palestinian people that Fatah be united and strong. I call them also to avoid any dispute and in return we in Hamas and the entire Palestinian people will reinforce our national unity."

Arafats personal adviser, Jebril Rjoub, said: "The term of President Arafat has ended, however, the commitments and loyalty to his march concerned with the establishment of the state and the reinforcement of our identity are now the responsibility of the entire Palestinian people."

Statements of Israeli leaders

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said: "The recent events could be a historic turning point for the Middle East. Israel is a country that seeks peace and will continue its efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians without delay."

Israeli Labor Party leader Shimon Peres said: "There is no doubt that with the death of Yasser Arafat an era has ended... for good or bad. The biggest mistake of Arafat was when he turned to terror. His greatest achievements were when he tried to build peace."

Israeli right-wing groups were uniform in welcoming Arafat's death. Israeli Justice Minister Yossef Lapid said: "(It is) good that the world is rid of him... The sun is shining in the Middle East."

Quotes

These are some of the notable statements Yasser Arafat made over the years:

1968: "Zionism is an embodiment of neo-Nazism ..., intellectual terrorism and racial exploitation."

November 13, 1974: "I come bearing an olive branch in one hand, and the freedom fighter's gun in the other. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand." - Speech to the UN General Assembly.

November 13, 1974: "Those who call us terrorists wish to prevent world public opinion from discovering the truth about us and from seeing the justice on our faces. They seek to bide the terrorism and tyranny of their acts, and our own posture of self-defence." Speech to the UN General Assembly.

1988: "Neither (I) nor anyone for that matter can stop the Intifada (Palestinian uprising) ... The intifada will come to an end only when practical and tangible steps have been taken towards the achievement of our national aims."

January 15, 2002: "This child, who is grasping the stone, facing the tank, is it not the greatest message to the world when that hero becomes a martyr? We are proud of them" (Palestinian Authority Television)

January 21, 2002: "I swear to God, I will see , whether as a martyr or alive. Please, God, give me the honor of becoming a martyr in the fight for Jerusalem."

September 11, 2003: "This is my homeland; no one can kick me out." Yasser Arafat's reply to Ariel Sharon's threat to expel him from the occupied territories.

External links

The Nobel e-Museum - Biography of Yasser Arafat
Life and times of Yassir Arafat, Times Online, UK
Profile: Yassir Arafat from Times Online, UK
Obituary, The Guardian
Trailer of a documentary with clips of Arafat's speeches towards the end
Yasir Arafat: Psychological Profile and Strategic Analysis
Yasser Arafat from the Open Directory Project
Yasser Arafat -- Yahoo!
The Israeli Reference Site on Arafat
Someone Was Going to Kill Newsweek Interview of Mahmoud Abbas (June 21 Issue)

Updates: Fix lost link + quote, add quote, rephrase "Forbes" etc, wikify + typos

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