Yasser Arafat Quotes

A collection of quotes by Yasser Arafat.

Yasser Arafat (1929-2004) was a prominent political figure and the co-founder of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Born in Cairo, Egypt, Arafat's parents were Palestinian and his family had deep roots in Jerusalem. Following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Arafat became an influential leader in the Palestinian national movement.

He formed the Fatah movement in the late 1950s, which advocated for the armed struggle against Israeli occupation. Under his leadership, Fatah became the dominant faction within the PLO and Arafat emerged as its chairman in 1969. Arafat relentlessly fought for the Palestinian cause, seeking self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Throughout his career, Arafat faced both praise and criticism for his tactics. He was widely recognized for his role in promoting Palestinian nationalism and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, for their efforts in achieving the Oslo Accords.

Following the accords, Arafat returned to the occupied territories from exile and became the President of the Palestinian Authority. However, his leadership was marked by political unrest, internal divisions and an ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yasser Arafat's death in 2004 gave rise to both mourning and controversy, as his remains were exhumed multiple times amidst accusations of poisoning, but the exact cause of his death remains disputed. Today, Arafat continues to be a symbol of the Palestinian struggle for statehood.