Updated Jan. 19, 2024 at 11:50 a.m.
On this day in 1997, Yasser Arafat returned to Hebron after 15 years mostly in Tunis. The Palestinian leader had also spent many years in exile in Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere in the region.
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Who was Yasser Arafat?
Arafat was a Palestinian political leader. In the latter part of the 1950s, Arafat co-founded Fatah, a paramilitary organization seeking the removal of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian state. He later recognized Israel’s right to exist and advocated for a two-state solution.
He remained a controversial figure through his life. Palestinians regard him as a freedom fighter, but Israelis saw him as a terrorist. He was co-award the Nobel Peace Prize in1994.
How long was Yasser Arafat in exile?
In 1982, after Israel launched an invasion of Lebanon to expel the PLO from southern Lebanon, Arafat and his top aides went into exile after negotiations of the U.S. and Europe. He spent nearly 15 years in total to exile in Tunis, ending with his return to Hebron after the Oslo Peace Accords.
Why is Hebron so important?
Hebron is holy for Jews, Muslims and Christians. After more than 30 years of Israeli military rule, it was the last West Bank territory to be handed back to Palestine. Arafat received a hero’s welcome on his return.