Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat, also known as Abu Ammar, was an important Palestinian leader. He led the Palestine Liberation Organization from 1969 until he died in 2004.

Arafat was born in Cairo, Egypt, to Palestinian parents. As a student, he cared deeply about Arab nationalism and opposing the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

He helped start the political party Fatah in the 1950s. Fatah wanted to replace Israel with a Palestinian state. Arafat became well-known and was elected chairman of the Palestinian National Council in 1969.

His leadership led to many conflicts and talks over many years. In 1994, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with two Israeli leaders for working toward peace.

Arafat’s peace efforts included important meetings like the Madrid Conference in 1991 and the Oslo Accords in 1993. Even though he worked for peace, he was a controversial figure. Many Palestinians saw him as a symbol of their hopes, while many Israelis felt differently about him. He died in 2004 after being confined to his compound in Ramallah by Israeli forces for over two years.

Early life

Arafat was born in Cairo, Egypt, in August 1929. His father was from Gaza City and worked as a merchant. Arafat grew up with six brothers and sisters and spent time in Jerusalem with his mother’s family.

Arafat studied at the University of King Fuad I. He became interested in Arab history and politics. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, he tried to help Arab forces but went back to finish his studies in engineering. Later, he led student groups for Palestinians.

In 1990, Arafat married Suha Tawil, and they had one daughter named Zahwa. Before they married, Arafat took care of fifty Palestinian children who had lost their parents.

Rise of Fatah

Founding of Fatah

After a big problem in 1956 called the Suez Crisis, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser let the United Nations Emergency Force stay in places like the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip. This caused many guerrilla or "fedayeen" forces, including Arafat, to leave. Arafat tried to get a visa to Canada and later Saudi Arabia but was not successful. In 1957, he got a visa to Kuwait and started working in civil engineering. There, he met two Palestinian friends, Salah Khalaf ("Abu Iyad") and Khalil al-Wazir ("Abu Jihad"), who later became his top aides. With their help, Arafat and others started a group called Fatah.

Fatah wanted to free Palestine through armed struggle led by Palestinians themselves. This was different from other groups that relied on support from Arab countries. Arafat refused money from major Arab governments to stay independent but got support from wealthy Palestinians in Kuwait and other Arab countries.

Leader of the Palestinians

In 1966, Israel attacked a town in the West Bank after a Fatah attack. This and other events led to the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel took control of many areas, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip. After this war, many Palestinians believed they needed their own solution, and Arafat became more popular. In 1967, Arafat was named the leader of the Palestinians by Egyptian president Nasser.

Battle of Karameh

In 1968, Israeli forces attacked the town of Karameh in Jordan, where Fatah had a base. Arafat decided to stay and fight with his men. The Jordanian Army also fought alongside the Palestinians. Although Israel destroyed much of the town, the battle made Arafat famous. He was seen as a hero who stood up to Israel, and many people joined Fatah after this event. Arafat was elected chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in February 1969.

Confrontation with Jordan

See also: Black September

In the late 1960s, tensions grew between Palestinians and the Jordanian government. Some Palestinian groups had become very powerful, almost making their own rules inside Jordan. They controlled important areas, set up roadblocks, and acted against Jordanian police. King Hussein of Jordan saw this as a threat and tried to stop it.

In September 1970, a group within the Palestinian movement hijacked four airplanes and destroyed three of them in Jordan. This led many countries, including the United States, to blame Arafat for not controlling these groups. King Hussein then declared martial law, and fighting broke out. After efforts to make peace, the Jordanian Army took control. Many people were hurt during this time. Finally, Arafat and his supporters had to leave Jordan and moved to Lebanon, where they continued their activities.

Headquarters in Lebanon

Official recognition

Because Lebanon's government was weak, the PLO could act almost like an independent country. During the 1970s, some PLO groups fought against Israel.

In 1972, two big events happened. One group hijacked a plane and forced it to land in Israel. Later, another group attacked people at an airport. Israel responded by targeting a spokesperson of the group. The PLO then bombed a bus station in revenge.

At the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, a group kidnapped and killed Israeli athletes. Some believe Arafat knew about these plans ahead of time. These actions were widely condemned around the world. In 1974, Arafat closed down this group and told the PLO to stop violent actions outside of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip.

Also in 1974, the PLO was recognized as the main representative for Palestinians and joined the Arab League. Arafat spoke at the United Nations, sharing his views and gaining more support for the Palestinian cause.

Fatah involvement in Lebanese Civil War

Arafat and his group, Fatah, became involved in Lebanon's civil war. At first, Arafat was careful not to pick sides, but later he joined forces with some groups opposing the government. This led to conflict with other groups, including those supported by Syria.

Cross-border attacks continued, and in 1978, a serious attack happened on a coastal road in Israel. Israel responded by moving into southern Lebanon, forcing Arafat and the PLO to move north to Beirut.

In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to remove the PLO. Beirut was surrounded, and Arafat narrowly escaped with help from diplomats. The US and European countries helped arrange for Arafat and the PLO to leave safely for Tunis.

During the war, Arafat made sure to protect the Jewish community in Beirut, ordering PLO fighters to guard a synagogue and help those affected.

Headquarters in Tunisia

Yasser Arafat and his group, Fatah, worked from Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, until 1993. In 1985, Israeli forces bombed his office, but Arafat was safe because he was not there that morning.

During the 1980s, Arafat received support from countries such as Libya, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. This support was important during a big protest called the First Intifada in 1987. The Intifada was a protest by Palestinians against Israeli control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It began after an accident where four people died, leading to many protests. Arafat tried to guide the protest, which lasted until around 1992 or 1993.

In 1988, Arafat and the PLO announced the creation of the State of Palestine. He also spoke out against harmful actions and agreed to talk with Israel about peace. This was a big change from earlier goals. However, his support for Iraq during the Gulf War in 1990–91 caused problems with many countries and groups.

Palestinian Authority and peace negotiations

Further information: Palestinian views on the peace process § Yasser Arafat and the PLO

Oslo Accords

In the early 1990s, Arafat worked with Israeli leaders in secret talks. These talks led to the 1993 Oslo Accords. The agreement planned for Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip over five years. It also called for stopping Israeli settlements in those areas. A Palestinian police force would be created to keep order. The agreement allowed the Palestinian government to control areas like education and taxes. Both sides agreed to work together on economic issues.

Before signing the accords, Arafat agreed to stop using violence and recognized Israel. In return, Israel’s leader, Yitzhak Rabin, recognized the PLO. Later, Arafat, Rabin, and Shimon Peres won the Nobel Peace Prize. Many Palestinians supported the agreements, but some opposed them.

Establishing authority in the territories

After the Oslo Accords, Arafat was expected to set up Palestinian authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He needed money but did not receive support from Arab countries. In 1994, Arafat moved to Gaza City and became the leader of the new Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He created a government, appointed leaders for cities, and set up a police force. Arafat was elected president of the PNA in 1996 with strong support.

Other peace agreements

In 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu became Israel’s leader, and relations became more difficult. In 1998, US President Bill Clinton helped arrange talks that led to the Wye River Memorandum.

Arafat continued talking with Israel’s leaders, including Ehud Barak, at the Camp David 2000 Summit in 2000. After violence began in 2000, known as the Second Intifada, peace talks continued but became very difficult. In 2002, Arafat was confined to his headquarters in Ramallah by Israel’s leader, Ariel Sharon.

Political survival

Yasser Arafat stayed a leader for many years, even when things were hard. Many thought he stayed in power because he was clever and knew how to handle tough situations.

Israel tried to stop Arafat sometimes, but they usually did this through others, not directly. Arafat had to be very careful because he was afraid of being attacked. He rarely stayed in the same place two nights in a row to stay safe.

Arafat also faced challenges from other groups, like Hamas, who did not agree with him. These groups sometimes did things that made it harder for Arafat to bring peace and work toward a Palestinian state. Even with these problems, Arafat kept the support of many Palestinians and led until the end of his life.

Financial dealings

Under the Oslo Peace Accords, Israel agreed to put money from taxes on goods bought by Palestinians into the Palestinian treasury. Until 2000, this money went into personal accounts of Yasser Arafat at a bank in Tel Aviv.

In 2002, a leader of Israeli Military Intelligence said Arafat had a lot of money, about US$1.3 billion. In 2003, the International Monetary Fund checked the finances of the Palestinian Authority and found that Arafat had moved $900 million into a special account. They said most of this money was used to invest in things that would help Palestinians.

Illness and death

The Israeli government tried many times to remove Arafat over the years. They tried to shoot down airplanes he might be on and bombed places where he might be staying.

In October 2004, Arafat got very sick. Doctors first thought it might be the flu, but he got worse quickly. He was taken to a hospital in France, where he fell into a deep sleep and later passed away on November 11, 2004. Many ideas were shared about what caused his illness, but the true reason remains uncertain even today.

A small ceremony was held for Arafat in France, and then his body was taken to Egypt for another service. Because of safety worries, Israel would not let him be buried in Jerusalem, so he was buried temporarily in Ramallah. Later, a special building was made as a resting place for him.

Theories about the cause of death

Main article: Death of Yasser Arafat

Many ideas were shared about why Arafat became sick so fast. Some thought it might have been a sickness, or problems with his liver or blood. Tests on his things found something called polonium, which can be very harmful, but not everyone agreed on what this meant. Different teams looked at his remains and had different ideas about what happened. The truth about his passing remains a topic of discussion.

Legacy

Many places were named to honor Yasser Arafat. These include Martyr Yasser Arafat Governmental Hospital, Yasser Arafat Cup, and Yasser Arafat International Airport.