Arafat, Yassir

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Palestinian nationalist politician, cofounder of the al-Fatah (Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine) resistance group in 1958, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969, and president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) from 1994. He was a key player in peace talks with Israel regarding the status of the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank within Israel. His power as president of the PNA was diminished by his failure to control Palestinian extremists during the intifada (uprising) against Israel that began in September 2000, and the appointment in 2003 of a prime minister to run day-to-day government in the PNA. In 1994, he shared the Nobel Prize for Peace with Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and foreign minister Shimon Peres for their agreement of an accord on Palestinian self-rule.

Red and white are traditional colours in South East Asia. Red represents universal fellowship and equality. White stands for purity and virtue. Effective date: 3 December 1959. >>