“came to symbolise the Palestinian national movement”
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Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat, also popularly known by his kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, President of Palestine from 1989 to 2004 and President of the Palestinian Authority (PNA) from 1994 to 2004. Ideologically an Arab nationalist and a socialist, Arafat was a founding member of the Fatah political party, whi…
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politics · President of Palestine from 1989 to 2004 · politician · civil engineer · freedom fighter · engineer · also Yasser Arafat, Yaser Arafat, Yassir Arafat, Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini, Muhammad Yassur Abd ar-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa, Abu Ammar
Born 4 August 1929 · Died 11 November 2004 · Q34211
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Yassir Arafat
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2026· 4 entries
“Hanoi and Stalingrad of the Israeli army.”
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شبكة يافا الإخبارية: Yasser Arafat Foundation Commemorates Birthday of National Leader Othman Abu Ghurbieh
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- #headline
AAP rated the claim “An image shows Anthony Albanese and Joe Hockey with late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.” False. The image is fake..
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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2025· 1 entry
Reported claimRated False. A land known as Palestine is mentioned in historical sources as far back as 2500 years ago. · AAP
AAP rated the claim “The first mention of a land called Palestine was by Yasser Arafat 57 years ago.” False. A land known as Palestine is mentioned in historical sources as far back as 2500 years ago..
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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2022· 1 entry
USA Today rated the claim “The ancient land of Palestine was first referenced by Arafat 57 years ago” False.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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2018· 1 entry
Awarded Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of Palestine (2018).
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- #award
- #achievement
2016· 1 entry
Snopes.com rated the claim “A photograph shows the Clintons posing with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.” True.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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2006· 1 entry
Concluded "The Khartoum operation was planned and carried out with the full knowledge and personal approval of Yasser Arafat
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2004· 9 entries
Died 2004-11-11.
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- #death
“Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for an all-out war, a war which will last for generations… We shall not rest until the day when we return to our home, and until we destroy Israel.”
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“They want us to pass a constitution? No problem! We'll ask Israel to provide us with one copy of theirs and we'll copy it word for word!”
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“I swear to God, I will see [the Palestinian state], whether as a martyr or alive. Please, God, give me the honor of becoming a martyr in the fight for Jerusalem.”
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“I want to tell Carter and Begin that when the Arabs set off their volcano there will be only Arabs in this part of the world… Our people will continue to fuel the torch of the revolution with rivers of blood until the whole of the occupied homeland is liberated, the whole of the homeland is liberated, not just a part of it.”
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“We shall never stop until we can go back home and Israel is destroyed… The goal of our struggle is the end of Israel, and there can be no compromises or mediations… the goal of this violence is the elimination of Zionism from Palestine in all its political, economic and military aspects… We don’t want peace, we want victory. Peace for us means Israel’s destruction and nothing else.”
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President Bush dismissed Arafat as a negotiating partner, saying he had "failed as a leader", and accused him of undercutting Abbas when he was prime minister (Abbas resigned the same year he was given the position)
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“What Kuwait did to the Palestinian people is worse than what has been done by Israel to Palestinians in the occupied territories.”
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“This is my homeland; no one can kick me out.”
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2003· 3 entries
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted an audit of the PNA and stated that Arafat had diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account controlled by himself and the PNA Chief Economic Financial ad
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A team of American accountants—hired by Arafat's own finance ministry—began examining Arafat's finances
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It had made the decision, in principle, to remove him from the Israeli-controlled West Bank
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2002· 1 entry
That the armed Fatah sub-group al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades commenced attacks towards Israel in order to compete with Hamas
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2001· 2 entries
Arafat personally approved payments to Tanzim militants
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Sharon as prime minister is believed to have made a commitment to cease attempts to assassinate Arafat
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2000· 1 entry
When Arafat felt that negotiations with Israel would not succeed
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1999· 2 entries
Awarded Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class (1999).
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1999).
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1998· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Collar of the Order of Good Hope (1998).
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US President Bill Clinton persuaded the two leaders to meet
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1997· 1 entry
The PLC accused the executive branch of the PNA of financial mismanagement causing the resignation of four members of Arafat's cabinet
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1996· 1 entry
Career landmark: Minister of Education of the Palestinian National Authority (1996–1998).
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- #milestone
1995· 1 entry
In mid-1995, Arafat's wife gave birth in a Paris hospital to a daughter, named Zahwa after Arafat's mother.
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- #life
- #personal-life
1994· 5 entries
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Peace — for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East.
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Awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1994).
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Career landmark: President of the Palestinian National Authority (1994–2004).
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- #milestone
Returned to Palestine, settling in Gaza City and promoting self-governance for the Palestinian territories
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Arafat moved to Gaza City, which was controlled by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)—the provisional entity created by the Oslo Accords
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1993· 1 entry
Awarded Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize (1993).
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1990· 1 entry
Arafat married Suha Tawil, a Palestinian Christian, when he was 61 and Suha, 27
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1989· 1 entry
Career landmark: president of the State of Palestine (1989–2004).
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1988· 2 entries
Awarded Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1988).
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Acknowledged Israel's right to exist and sought a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
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1985· 1 entry
Arafat narrowly survived an Israeli assassination attempt when Israeli Air Force F-15s bombed his Tunis headquarters as part of Operation Wooden Leg, leaving 73 people dead; Arafat had gone out jogging that morning
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1976· 2 entries
Abu Sa'ed, a Palestinian agent working for the Mossad, was enlisted in a plot to put poison pellets that looked like grains of rice in Arafat's food
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An alliance of Christian militias with the backing of the Lebanese and Syrian armies besieged Tel al-Zaatar camp in east Beirut
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1975· 1 entry
Awarded Doublespeak Award (1975).
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1974· 2 entries
The PLO was declared the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and admitted to full membership of the Arab League at the Rabat Summit
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The PNC approved the Ten Point Program (drawn up by Arafat and his advisers), and proposed a compromise with the Israelis
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1973· 1 entry
Became the head of the PLO's political department
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1970· 1 entry
“Our basic aim is to liberate the land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. We are not concerned with what took place in June 1967 or in eliminating the consequences of the June war. The Palestinian revolution”
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1969· 1 entry
Career landmark: Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (1969–2004).
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1967· 1 entry
Joined the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and in 1969 was elected chair of the Palestinian National Council (PNC)
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1962· 1 entry
Arafat and his closest companions migrated to Syria—a country sharing a border with Israel—which had recently seceded from its union with Egypt
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1959· 1 entry
The group's existence was attested to in the pages of a Palestinian nationalist magazine, Filastununa Nida al-Hayat (Our Palestine, The Call of Life), which was written and edited by Abu Jihad
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1957· 1 entry
Applied for a visa to Kuwait (at the time a British protectorate) and was approved, based on his work in civil engineering
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1956· 1 entry
Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser agreed to allow the United Nations Emergency Force to establish itself in the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, precipitating the expulsion of all guerrilla or "fedayeen" forces there—
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1952· 1 entry
Arafat did not attend the funeral, nor did he visit his father's grave upon his return to Gaza
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1950· 1 entry
Studied at Cairo University, bachelor's degree (1944–1950).
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1944· 1 entry
Arafat enrolled in the University of King Fuad I and graduated in 1950
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1937· 1 entry
Their father recalled them to be taken care of by their older sister, Inam
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1933· 1 entry
When Arafat was four years of age
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1929· 1 entry
Born 1929-08-04.
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- #birth