Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini (Arabic: محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسيني; August 1929 - November 11, 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat (ياسر عرفات) and by the kunya Abu `Ammar (أبو عمّار), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004) and President[1] of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) (1993–2004). Arafat was awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize, sharing it with Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin, for the negotiation of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accord.
Arafat was a controversial and polarizing figure throughout his lengthy career. While his supporters viewed him as a heroic freedom fighter who symbolized the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, his opponents often described him as an unrepentant terrorist with a long legacy of promoting violence. Still others accused him of being a deeply corrupt politician or a weak and devious leader. Arab nationalists believe that he made too many concessions to the Israeli government during the 1993 Oslo Accords. However, Arafat has been widely recognized for leading the Fatah movement, which he founded in 1957.
Arafat was a controversial and polarizing figure throughout his lengthy career. While his supporters viewed him as a heroic freedom fighter who symbolized the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, his opponents often described him as an unrepentant terrorist with a long legacy of promoting violence. Still others accused him of being a deeply corrupt politician or a weak and devious leader. Arab nationalists believe that he made too many concessions to the Israeli government during the 1993 Oslo Accords. However, Arafat has been widely recognized for leading the Fatah movement, which he founded in 1957.
