Mahmoud Abbas President of the Palestinian Authority, leader of the Fatah party Date of Birth: 26.03.1935

1. Early Life and Education
2. Involvement with the Palestinian Liberation Organization
3. Leadership Roles and the Oslo Accords
4. Prime Ministership
5. Presidency

Early Life and Education

Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, was born in 1935 in Safed, Palestine (now part of northern Israel). In 1948, during the Arab-Israeli War, his family moved to Syria.

After graduating with a law degree from Damascus University, Abbas pursued his doctorate in Oriental Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies in Moscow, focusing on the history of Zionism.

Involvement with the Palestinian Liberation Organization

Abbas became involved with the Palestinian national movement in the 1960s. He co-founded Fatah, which later became the largest faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Leadership Roles and the Oslo Accords

In 1980, Abbas was elected to the PLO Executive Committee. He held various leadership positions within the organization, including Secretary-General of the Executive Committee from 1996.

Abbas actively participated in the negotiations leading to the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s. He represented the PLO in signing the Declaration of Principles with Israel in Washington, D.C., in 1993.

Prime Ministership

In 2003, President Yasser Arafat appointed Abbas as Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. Abbas implemented the "Roadmap" peace plan and brokered a ceasefire with Israel.

Presidency

Following Arafat's death in 2004, Abbas was elected President of the State of Palestine in 2013. He has continued to advocate for a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, but his efforts have faced challenges and setbacks.