Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ???? ?????‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Muhammad `Abd ar-Ra'uf al-Qudwa al-Husayni (???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????) and also known as Abu `Ammar (??? ?????), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004); President{{fn|1}} of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) (1993–2004); and a co-winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

Palestinian Authority and peace negotiations

In the early 1990s Arafat engaged the Israelis in a series of secret talks and negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords calling for the implementation of Palestinian self rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over a five year period. Prior to signing the accords, Arafat as Chairman of the PLO and as its official representative signed two letters renouncing violence and officially recognizing Israel on September 9, 1993. In return Prime Minister Rabin, on behalf of Israel, officially recognized the PLO. (See: Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization letters of recognition.) The following year Arafat was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin. Arafat returned to Palestine as a hero to some but a traitor and collaborator to others.

Related Topics:
1993 - Oslo Accords - Palestinian - West Bank - Gaza Strip - September 9 - Israel-Palestine Liberation Organization letters of recognition - Nobel Peace Prize - Shimon Peres - Yitzhak Rabin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1994, Arafat moved to the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA) — the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords. On July 24 1995, his wife Suha gave birth to a daughter, who was named Zahwa after his deceased mother.

Related Topics:
1994 - Palestinian Authority - July 24 - 1995 - Zahwa

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On January 20, 1996, Arafat was elected president of the PA, with an overwhelming 88.2 percent majority (the only other candidate was Samiha Khalil) http://www.pna.gov.ps/Government/gov/Elections_in_Palestine.asp. Independent international observers reported the elections to have been free and fair. However, because Hamas and other opposition movements chose not to participate in the presidential election, the choices were limited. The following elections scheduled for January 2002 were later postponed; the stated reason being inability to campaign due to the emergency conditions imposed by the al-Aqsa intifada and Israel Defense Force incursions and restrictions on freedom of movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Related Topics:
January 20 - 1996 - Samiha Khalil - Hamas - Al-Aqsa intifada - Israel Defense Force - West Bank - Gaza Strip

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After 1996, Arafat's title as Palestinian Authority leader was "head" (Arabic Ra'is). Israel and the U.S. interpret the title as "chairman" while Palestinians and the U.N. translate the title as "president". The mass media uses both terms.

Related Topics:
1996 - ''Ra'is''

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In mid-1996, Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Palestinian-Israeli relations grew even more hostile as a consequence of continued conflict. Netanyahu allegedly sought to obstruct the transition to Palestinian statehood outlined in the Israel-PLO accord. In 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton intervened, arranging meetings with the two leaders. The resulting Wye River Memorandum of 23 October 1998 detailed the steps to be taken by the Israeli government and PA to complete the peace process.

Related Topics:
Benjamin Netanyahu - Bill Clinton - Wye River Memorandum - 23 October - 1998

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Arafat continued negotiations with Netanyahu's successor, Ehud Barak, at the Camp David 2000 Summit. 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 West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip with an outlying suburb of East Jerusalem 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 swath of land in the Negev desert. Many Palestinians claim that accepting the offer would have had the effect of reducing the Palestinian state to "Bantustans:" scattered pieces of territory separated by highways for Israelis, security checkpoints and Israeli settlements. In addition, under the Israeli proposal, Israel would control the Palestinian state's water resources, borders, customs, and defense and a further 10% of the West Bank under nominal Palestinian sovereignty (chiefly along the Jordanian border). Also included in the offer was a return of a limited number of refugees and 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. When the Al-Aqsa Intifada, or Second Palestinian Intifada, was launched (2000-present), the peace process completely collapsed. After the start of the Second Intifada, Arafat's wife moved to live with her mother and daughter in Paris.

Related Topics:
Ehud Barak - Camp David 2000 Summit - West Bank - Gaza Strip - East Jerusalem - Negev - Bantustans - Israeli settlements - Jordan - Refugees - Al-Aqsa Intifada - Paris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~