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Yasser Arafat Research Paper

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The middle east has always struggled to find peace with its surrounding countries and the many groups which they consist of. Yasser Arafat made many contributions to the multiple disagreements and conflicts that affected the middle east.
Born in Jerusalem, Israel in 1929, Yasser Arafat became an important leader for the Palestinian people. He had dreams that one day Palestine would become its own state. Arafat was president of Palestinian Authority and later gained control of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) by becoming chairman. The PLO is an organization founded in May 28, 1964 with the goal of liberation of palestine. Arafat was elected as chairman in 1969, three years after it was founded in the aftermath of the sixty-day war. Soon …show more content…

Despite the multiple peace treaties, peace was alway elusive with these countries. Another factor that contributed to this was the palestinian uprising known as Intifada. Due to the increase in violence, Afrat was marginalized by the U.S. and the Israelis. An increased amount of pressure was placed on Arafat as he tried to communicate with the US, who would no longer deal directly with him. He began to seek the help of Mahmoud Abbas as Prime Minister.
In October of 2004, Arafat fell ill with his symptoms worsening rapidly. He was transported to Paris, France for medical attention, but only remained there for a month before passing away in September of 2004. Many did not believe that Arafat died of natural causes, and insisted that he was poisoned. Very shortly after his death, conspiracy theories were created based on the beliefs of how Arafat truly died.
Arafat made a large impact on the middle east and the many conflicts and disputes which they face. “Even nine years after his death, Yasser Arafat retains an enduring symbolic power as a source of political legitimacy in the Palestinian national

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