Who Is Yasser Arafat? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Yasser Arafat was born on August 24, 1929, making him 96 years old in 2025. He served as the President of the Palestinian National Authority from 1989 until his passing in 2004. Arafat was a key figure in the Palestinian liberation movement, founding the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and becoming its chairman in 1969. He played a pivotal role in advocating for Palestinian rights, thus solidifying his legacy within both Palestinian and global contexts.
Arafat’s political journey was filled with significant turning points, including the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s, which aimed to establish peace between Israel and Palestine. Despite controversies surrounding his leadership, Arafat remains a symbol of resistance for many Palestinians.
| Occupation | Revolutionaries |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 4 or August 24, 1929 |
| Age | 75 Years |
| Birth Place | Cairo, Egypt |
| Horoscope | |
| Country | France |
| Date of death | 11 November, 2004 |
| Died Place | Clamart, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
Popularity
Yasser Arafat's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Although precise measurements of Yasser Arafat's height and weight have varied through various reports, it is widely documented that he stood approximately 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) tall. His weight was often reported to be around 150 lbs (68 kg). Arafat was known for his distinct personal style, often seen wearing his signature keffiyeh.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Yasser Arafat was famously in a long-term relationship with Suha Arafat, whom he married in 1990. Suha became an influential figure in her own right and remained by Arafat's side through many political challenges. The couple had one daughter, Zahwa Arafat, who was born in 1995. While there have been speculations about Arafat's personal life, he maintained a relatively private domestic sphere, focusing largely on his political endeavors.
His father, Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini, was a Palestinian from Gaza City, whose mother, Yasser's paternal grandmother, was Egyptian. Arafat's father battled in the Egyptian courts for 25 years to claim family land in Egypt as part of his inheritance but was unsuccessful.
He worked as a textile merchant in Cairo's religiously mixed Sakakini District. Arafat was the second-youngest of seven children and was, along with his younger brother Fathi, the only offspring born in Cairo. Jerusalem was the family home of his mother, Zahwa Abul Saud, who died from a kidney ailment in 1933, when Arafat was four years of age.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 2004, Yasser Arafat's net worth was difficult to ascertain due to the complex nature of political finances. Reports indicated that he held various assets, and estimates of his wealth ranged from $1 billion to significantly less, owing largely to the opacity of his financial structures and the political environment in which he operated. Nevertheless, Arafat's role as a leader meant he had access to various funding sources for the Palestinian cause, contributing to his influence.
Arafat continued negotiations with Netanyahu's successor, Ehud Barak, at the Camp David 2000 Summit in July 2000.
Due partly to his own politics (Barak was from the leftist Labor Party, whereas Netanyahu was from the rightist Likud Party) and partly due to insistence for compromise by President Clinton, Barak offered Arafat a Palestinian state in 73 percent of the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian percentage of sovereignty would extend to 90 percent over a ten- to twenty-five-year period. Also included in the offer was the return of a small number of refugees and compensation for those not allowed to return.
Palestinians would also have "custodianship" over Al-Aqsa, sovereignty on all Islamic and Christian holy sites, and three of Jerusalem's four Old City quarters. Arafat rejected Barak's offer and refused to make an immediate counter-offer. He told President Clinton that, "the Arab leader who would surrender Jerusalem is not born yet."
Career, Business and Investments
Yasser Arafat’s career was deeply intertwined with politics and activism. Following his education and early political involvement, he became a prominent leader in the Palestinian struggle. Arafat was instrumental in setting up various political and civil institutions aimed at promoting Palestinian interests.
His leadership led to significant investments in social programs and infrastructure within Palestinian territories. Arafat was adept at garnering international support, which helped sustain his initiatives. While he was primarily a political figure, discussions about his economic impacts continue to be an important subject for scholars and historians alike.
Since Arafat was raised in Cairo, the tradition of dropping the Mohammed or Ahmad portion of one's first name was common; notable Egyptians such as Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak did so. However, Arafat dropped Abdel Rahman and Abdel Raouf from his name as well.
During the early 1950s, Arafat adopted the name Yasser, and in the early years of Arafat's guerrilla career, he assumed the nom de guerre of Abu Ammar. Both names are related to Ammar ibn Yasir, one of Muhammad's early companions. Although he dropped most of his inherited names, he retained Arafat due to its significance in Islam.
Social Network
Yasser Arafat had a vast network of connections, which played a crucial role in his political strategies. During his lifetime, he was active in international diplomacy and maintained relationships with numerous world leaders. His efforts to achieve peace would see him awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 alongside Israeli leaders Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. Social media channels did not exist in Arafat’s time, but today, discussions of his legacy are prevalent across various platforms, making him a figure of continued interest in political discourse.
In the latter part of the 1950s, Arafat co-founded Fatah, a paramilitary organization which sought Israel's replacement with a Palestinian state. Fatah operated within several Arab countries, from where it launched attacks on Israeli targets.
In the latter part of the 1960s Arafat's profile grew; in 1967 he joined the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and in 1969 was elected chair of the Palestinian National Council (PNC). Fatah's growing presence in Jordan resulted in military clashes with King Hussein's Jordanian government and in the early 1970s it relocated to Lebanon.
There, Fatah assisted the Lebanese National Movement during the Lebanese Civil War and continued its attacks on Israel, resulting in the organization becoming a major target of Israeli invasions during the 1978 South Lebanon conflict and 1982 Lebanon War.
Education
Arafat received his education in Cairo, Egypt, where he studied engineering. His academic background provided him with critical analytical skills that he applied to his political strategies. In addition to formal education, Arafat was deeply involved in the political activism of his time, which shaped his worldview and commitment to the Palestinian cause.
He studied at the University of King Fuad I. While a student, he embraced Arab nationalist and anti-Zionist ideas. Opposed to the 1948 creation of the State of Israel, he fought alongside the Muslim Brotherhood during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Following the defeat of Arab forces, Arafat returned to Cairo and served as president of the General Union of Palestinian Students from 1952 to 1956.
