President Yasser Arafat
Born:
Yasser Arafat was born in Jerusalem-Palestine in 1929.
Education:
Engineering degree from KingFuadUniversity, Cairo-Egypt.
1956:
Joined the reserve officers of the Egyptian Army and fought against the tri-partite aggression on Egypt.
1953- 1968:
Joined early in his youth, the Palestine National Movement as represented by the League of Palestinian Students 1944, and chaired it later on.
1968:
Formed “Fatah” movement together with other brothers in the fifties and was declared its spokesman
1973:
Commander in Chief of the forces of the Palestinian Revolution.
1974:
Addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York.
Achievements and Peace awards: -
1979:
Joliet Curie Gold Medal-World Peace Council.
1981:
Honorary Ph.D. from Jamaat Islamiya in Haidar Abad, India.
1982:
Led the heroic battle against the invasion of Lebanon and the battle of steadfastness during the siege of Beirut by the Israeli forces.
Nov.1984 & April 1987:
Re - elected Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization by the 17th, 18th and the 19th sessions of the Palestine National Council
13 Sept. 1988:
Addressed the Socialist Group of the European Parliament
15 Nov. 1988:
Announced the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State.
13 Dec. 1988:
Addressed the UNGA, which convened in Geneva to hear him because the then US Secretary of State denied Chairman Arafat an entry Visa to the US to address the UNGA in New York. Addressed the Security Council in Geneva on February & May 1990 for the same reason.
13-14 Dec. 1989:
Launched the Palestinian peace initiative for establishing peace in the Middle East. Following that, on 14 Dec. 1988, the US Administration led by President Reagan decided to open a substantial dialogue with the PLO in Tunis.
30 March 1989:
Chosen President of the State of Palestine by Central Council of the PLO and elected as such by the Palestine National Council directly on 15 Nov. 1988.
13 Sep. 1993:
Launched and directed the policy of “Peace of the Braves” that culminated in the signing of the Palestinian Israeli Declaration of Principles at the White House, Washington.
12 Oct. 1993:
Elected by the Central Council of the PLO to be the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
31 Oct. 1993:
President of Palestine Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR).
July 1994:
Awarded Felix Houphouet Boigny peace prize.
Oct. 1994:
Received Laureate Nobel Peace Prize.
Nov. 1994:
Awarded Prince of Sturias Prize.
28 Sep. 1995:
Signed Oslo agreement with the late Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Rabin, and witnessed by the U.S.A. and Russia.
20 Jan. 1996:
Elected as President of the PNA in general election.
23 Oct. 1998:
He signed “WyeRiver” memorandum with the former Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Netenyahu.
31 Aug. 1999:
Awarded an Honorary Ph.D. in Business Administration from the MasstrichtUniversity of Holland.
President Arafat is Vice – Chairman of NAM and the permanent Vice-Chairman of the Organization of Islamic Conference.