In 1991 the DFLP split, with a minority faction led by Yasser Abd Rabbo ( who had become increasingly close to Yasser Arafat ) favouring the Madrid negotiations that led initially to limited Palestinian autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Until his death in 2004, Fatah had been closely identified with the leadership of Yasser Arafat, its founder.

Abu Daoud, who lived with his wife on a pension provided by the Palestinian Authority, has said that “ the Munich operation had the endorsement of Arafat ,” although Arafat was not involved in conceiving or implementing the attack.

Israel dismissed these statements of moderation from Arafat and the PNC resolution in Algiers, 1988 ( which had been sufficient to open a dialogue with the United States ) as " deceptive propaganda exercises " because ( among other objections ), " the PLO Covenant has not changed.

During this time, Hamas and other militant organizations rose to power and shook the foundations of the authority that Fatah under Arafat had established in the Palestinian territories.

By that time, Arafat had graduated with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and was called to duty to fight with Egyptian forces during the Suez Crisis ; however, he never actually fought on the battlefield.

Arafat had met Abu Iyad while attending Cairo University and Abu Jihad in Gaza.

Abu Iyad traveled with Arafat to Kuwait in late 1960 ; Abu Jihad, also working as a teacher, had already been living there since 1959.

In 1962, Arafat and his closest companions migrated to Syria — a country sharing a border with Israel — which had recently seceded from its ephemeral union with Nasser's Egypt.

Although Nasser and his Arab allies had been defeated, Arafat and Fatah could claim a victory, in that the majority of Palestinians, who had up to that time tended to align and sympathize with individual Arab governments, now began to agree that a ' Palestinian ' solution to their dilemma was indispensable.

However, due to the hostility of relations between Arafat and Syrian President Hafez al-Assad ( who had previously ousted President Salah Jadid ), the Palestinian fighters crossed the border into Lebanon to join PLO forces in that country, where they set up their new headquarters.

Israel claimed that Arafat was in ultimate control over these organizations and therefore had not abandoned terrorism.

The LNM was led by Kamal Jumblatt, who had a friendly relationship with Arafat and other PLO leaders.

Arafat had gone out jogging that morning.

Though he had frequently been accused of and associated with terrorism, in speeches on 13 and 14 December Arafat accepted UN Security Council Resolution 242, Israel's right " to exist in peace and security " and repudiated ' terrorism in all its forms, including state terrorism '.

Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas leader in Gaza, stated in September 2010 that Arafat had instructed Hamas to launch what he termed " military operations " against Israel in 2000 when Arafat felt that negotiations with Israel would not succeed.

Arafat was finally allowed to leave his compound on 2 May after intense negotiations led to a settlement: six PFLP militants — including the organization's secretary-general Ahmad Sa ' adat — wanted by Israel, who had been holed up with Arafat in his compound, would not be turned over to Israel, but neither would they be held in custody by the PNA.

In 2004, 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 ).

Arafat had a mixed relationship at best with the leaders of other Arab nations.

Al-Kurdi, Arafat's personal physician for 18 years, said " I would usually be summoned to attend to Arafat immediately, even when all he had was a simple cold ... But when his medical situation was really deteriorating, they chose not to call me at all.

Open fighting between the rival factions ensued, and only after mediation by Yassir Arafat did their relationship stabilize.

" Although he developed a friendly relationship with the former Palestinian president and Fatah head, Yasser Arafat, recalling him saying "' Zakaria, buddy, I love you, we're marching to Jerusalem!

During the period in which Benjamin Netanyahu served as the head of the Israeli opposition, Gold was instrumental in forging the relationship between the Likud Party leadership and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in response to the strategic ties that were growing between Israel's Labor government and the PLO under Yasser Arafat.

It has been noted that " The Moscow-based church has enjoyed a close relationship with Arafat since his guerilla fighter days.

" It represents an important step forward in the Oslo peace process ... it remains the policy of the United States to support and promote full implementation of the Interim Agreement ... on the basis of reciprocity ... I have impressed upon Chairman Arafat the imperative need for the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to ensure public order and internal security within the West Bank and Gaza Strip ... I have advised Chairman Arafat of U. S. views on Israel's process of redeploying its forces, designating specified military locations and transferring additional powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority ... the United States ' commitment to Israel's security is ironclad and constitutes the fundamental cornerstone of our special relationship.

Tibi described his relationship with Arafat as " close " and " extremely interesting and important to.

This document, which was accepted by the Palestinian National Council ( PNC ) after lobbying by Fatah and DFLP, cautiously introduced the concept of a two-state solution in the PLO, and caused a split in the organization leading to the formation of the Rejectionist Front, where radical organizations such as the PFLP, PFLP-GC, Palestine Liberation Front and others gathered with the backing of Syria, Libya and Iraq to oppose Arafat and the mainstream PLO stance.

In 1978 the DFLP temporarily switched sides and joined the Rejectionist Front after clashing with Arafat on several issues, but it would continue to serve as a mediator in the factional disputes of the PLO.

In the interim, while armed Lebanese forces under the Maronite-controlled government sparred with Palestinian fighters, Egyptian leader Gamal Abd al-Nasser helped to negotiate the 1969 " Cairo Agreement " between Arafat and the Lebanese government, which granted the PLO autonomy over Palestinian refugee camps and access routes to northern Israel in return for PLO recognition of Lebanese sovereignty.

In his autobiography, Abu Daoud writes that Arafat saw the team off on the mission with the words “ God protect you .”

The articles identified by Arafat as nullified call for Palestinian unity in armed struggle, deny the legitimacy of the establishment of Israel, deny the existence of a Jewish people with a historical or religious connection to Palestine, and label Zionism a racist, imperialist, fanatic, fascist, aggressive, colonialist political movement that must be eliminated from the Middle East for the sake of world peace.

: The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Central Council will reaffirm the letter of 22 January 1998 from PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat to President Clinton concerning the nullification of the Palestinian National Charter provisions that are inconsistent with the letters exchanged between the PLO and the Government of Israel on 9 – 10 September 1993.

In 2000, after Yasser Arafat rejected the offer made to him by Ehud Barak based on the two-state solution and declined to negotiate for a more favorable offer, it became clear that Arafat would not make a deal with Israel unless it included the full Palestinian right of return, which would demographically destroy the Jewish character of the State of Israel.

* 1993 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shakes hands with PLO chairman Yasser Arafat at the White House after signing the Oslo Accords granting limited Palestinian autonomy.

Later in his career, Arafat engaged in a series of negotiations with the government of Israel to end the decades-long conflict between it and the PLO.

In 1994 Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, for the negotiations at Oslo.

Arafat was the second-youngest of seven children and was, along with his younger brother Fathi, the only offspring born in Cairo.

Arafat's sister Inam stated in an interview with Arafat's biographer, British historian Alan Hart, that Arafat was heavily beaten by his father for going to the Jewish quarter in Cairo and attending religious services.

Arafat ( second from right ) with other civil engineering students in Cairo University, September 1951

During the 1948 Arab – Israeli War, Arafat left the University and, along with other Arabs, sought to enter Palestine to join Arab forces fighting against Israeli troops.

In the 1940s, Arafat's father organized a group of militants in Gaza which included Yasir Arafat and his brothers.