Yasser Arafat Biography and Timeline

Birth of Yasser Arafat

Birth of Yasser Arafat

Al Fatah

Founds Al-Fatah

Coup

The PLO is founded by the Arab League with the aim of overthrowing the state of Israel

PLO

The PLO is founded by the Arab League with the aim of overthrowing the state of Israel. 28 May-2 June, the PLO is founded by a combination of Arab states

Fatah Armed Campaign Begins

Arafat's Fatah begins an armed campaign against Israel, marking the transition from clandestine political organization to sustained guerrilla activity.

Fatah Reorganization after Six-Day War

Arafat reorganizes Fatah after the Six-Day War and expands guerrilla activity from bases in Jordan toward Israeli-held territory.

Siege of PLO Bases

The PLO fedayeen repels an Israeli attack on the PLOs Jordanian bases

Cairo Agreement with Lebanon

Arafat signs the Cairo Agreement regulating the presence and activities of Palestinian armed organizations in Lebanon.

Role range: 1969-2004

President of Palestine

Appointed President of the PLO

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

Yasser Arafat attempted to preserve the Palestine Liberation Organization as tensions with the Jordanian monarchy intensified. The presence of autonomous Palestinian armed groups made political accommodation increasingly difficult.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

The aircraft hijacking crisis drew international attention to Jordan and to divisions among Palestinian organizations. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine led the hijackings, and its actions increased pressure on the broader movement represented by Yasser Arafat.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

Yasser Arafat and Palestinian guerrilla forces faced a sustained Jordanian army assault during the opening days of the civil war. The clashes undermined the PLO’s ability to operate independently inside the kingdom.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

Yasser Arafat joined Arab leaders in Cairo for negotiations intended to halt the fighting in Jordan. Egyptian mediation produced a ceasefire agreement between Arafat and King Hussein, although their underlying political dispute remained unresolved.

Role range: 1969-2004

Cairo Ceasefire with Jordan

Arafat and King Hussein accept an Arab-brokered ceasefire intended to end the fighting between Jordanian forces and Palestinian organizations.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

After the September ceasefire, Palestinian armed groups and the Jordanian authorities continued to dispute control of weapons and territory. Yasser Arafat’s organization faced growing restrictions despite efforts to implement agreements reached through Arab mediation.

Role range: 1969-2004

Bombing of PLO Camps

King Hussein of Jordan bombs guerrilla PLO camps on the Israeli border

Exile of Yasser Arafat

Expelled from Jordan, takes up residence in Lebanon

Invasion of Israel

Jordan & the PLO enter a short bloody war with Israel

Role range: 1969-2004

Bombing of Rotterdam

The PLO blow up fuel storage tanks in Rotterdam

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

Following the expulsion of its armed formations from Jordan, the PLO increasingly operated from Lebanon. This relocation reshaped the Palestinian movement’s military geography and helped set the stage for later regional confrontations.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

The remaining Palestinian fedayeen positions in northern Jordan came under renewed Jordanian military pressure. The defeat of these forces effectively ended the PLO’s capacity to maintain a major independent armed presence in the kingdom.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

The Black September Organization assassinated Jordanian prime minister Wasfi Tal in Cairo. The killing was presented as retaliation for Jordan’s campaign against Palestinian guerrilla forces and gave the organization international notoriety.

Role range: 1969-2004

Commander in Chief

Appointed Commander in Chief of the Palestine Revolutionary Forces

Black September

Black September gunmen seized the Saudi Arabian embassy in Khartoum during a diplomatic reception and took several foreign diplomats hostage. A later United States intelligence assessment attributed foreknowledge and approval of the operation to Yasser Arafat, although the episode remains politically contested.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

The gunmen who seized the Saudi embassy surrendered to Sudanese authorities after two American diplomats and a Belgian diplomat were murdered. A United States intelligence memorandum reported that Yasser Arafat had directed the militants to release the surviving hostages and surrender.

Role range: 1969-2004

Black September

The PLO closes Black September down in the fall of 1973

Role range: 1969-2004

PLO Invited to United Nations

The United Nations invites the PLO to participate in debate on the Palestine question, giving Arafat an unprecedented international diplomatic platform.

Role range: 1969-2004

United Nations General Assembly Speech

Arafat addresses the United Nations General Assembly and presents the Palestinian national cause directly to the international community.

Role range: 1969-2004

PLO Observer Status at United Nations

The United Nations grants the PLO observer status, strengthening Arafat's diplomatic standing and institutional access to international forums.

Role range: 1969-2004

Independence of Palestine

An Arab League summit call the PLO as "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people"

Role range: 1969-2004

Summit

An Arab League summit call the PLO as "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people"

Role range: 1969-2004

Invasion of Lebanon

Syria invades Lebanon, attacking the Muslim-PLO forces

Role range: 1969-2004

Invasion of Lebanon

Syria invades Lebanon, attacking the Muslim-PLO forces

Role range: 1969-2004

Alliance Palestine and PLO

Formation of a solidarity front between Algeria, Libya, Southern Yemen & the PLO

Role range: 1969-2004

Solidarity

Formation of a solidarity front between Algeria, Libya, Southern Yemen & the PLO

Role range: 1969-2004

South Yemen Joins Arab Front

South Yemen joins Algeria, Libya, Syria and the PLO.

Role range: 1969-2004

Steadfastness and Confrontation Front

Participates in formation of an Arab front opposing Egyptian policy.

Role range: 1969-2004

Invasion of Israel

Withdraws Palestinian forces from a buffer zone between Israel & the Litani River

Role range: 1969-2004

Invasion of Litani River

Withdraws Palestinian forces from a buffer zone between Israel & the Litani River

Role range: 1969-2004

Invasion of Lebanon

Israel invades Lebanon in order to expel the PLO