Name of leader Mahmoud Abbas
Kunya Abu Mazen
Organization Fatah
Conflict country Israel
Gender Male
Year of birth 1935
Place of birth Safed, Mandatory Palestine
Year of death N/A
Deceased
No, he is not dead.
Birth order
His birth order is unknown.
Age at start of rebel leadership
While living in Qatar he helped form Fatah which eventually became the leading organization in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).[1] He was around 20 years old at the time.
Leader entry method
On March 19, 2003, Yasser Arafat appointed Abbas prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Then in November 2004, he won a democratic vote to become chairman of the PLO and President of the PNA.
Powersharing
No, there is no evidence of powersharing.
Education (also name universities attended, if any); note any relevant experiences while a student
He went to the University of Damascus for a Law degree. He then went to Oriental College in the Soviet Union where he received a Ph.D. in History. He was supposedly only one out of a few Palestinians to have formally studied Israeli history and politics; his dissertation claimed that the Holocaust is a myth created by Zionists.[2]
Ever married? If yes, age of first marriage
Yes, he is married to Amina Abbas.[3]
Children
Yes, he has three children, Mazen Abbas, who ran a building company in Doha and died in Qatar of a heart attack in 2001 at age 42, Yasser Abbas--a Canadian businessman, and Tareq Abbas--a business executive.
Religious identification
He is Sunni Muslim.
Elite family background
During the 1948 war, Abbas and his family fled and settled in Syria where he grew up in the city of Damascus.
Political affiliations and intellectual circles; note any relevant social connections made
In the 1950s, Abbas became involved in underground Palestinian politics.[4] He helped form Fatah and within the PLO worked behind the scenes as a security adviser and a fundraiser[5]. In 1972, Abbas was in charge of gathering funds to finance the Munich Olympic Massacre.[6] In 1996, Abbas became Secretary General of the PLO’s executive committee.[7] In 2014, Abbas formed an interim government of technocrats.[8]
Physical and mental health
In 2005, Abbas underwent a successful, minor heart procedure in Amman, Jordan and in 2016 was hospitalized to have his heart tested.[9]
Pre-militant leader occupation
He worked in a variety of careers:
Teacher – Worked as an elementary teacher (year unknown).[10]
Activist – While living in Qatar, he, along with other exiled Palestinians formed Fatah.[11]
Career politician – When Arafat signed the Oslo Accords (1993), Abbas was with him.
Writer –
-
The Other Side: The Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism, published in 1984 in Arabic and is based on his CandSc thesis.[12]
-
“Through Secret Channels: The Road to Oslo (1995)” – an account on the Oslo negotiations.[13]
-
“Framework for the Conclusion of a Final Status Agreement Between Israel and the PLO” also known as, “Abu-Mazen-Beilin Plan)” – written together with his Israeli counterpart Yossi Beilin in 1995, but its existence was denied for five years, finally being published in September 2000[14].
Business/entrepreneurship – Family business based on Abbas’s own commercial ties and his connections with states and large companies worldwide – all of which benefit his two sons’ business concerns[15].
Experience in a state military, and role; any relevant social ties
No, there is no evidence of experience in a state military.
Experience in a nonstate military, and role; any relevant social ties
No, there is no evidence of experience in a nonstate military.
Combat experience prior to assuming resistance organization leadership?
No, there is no evidence of combat experience.
Held government position prior to assuming leadership?
Yes, “Abbas served as head of the Central Election Commission for the Palestine Legislative Council elections in January 1996 when he was elected as a representative of Qalqilya”.[16] Abbas was named the first Prime Minister of the PA in 2003 (but was never given full authority until Arafat's death in 2004).[17] He was also the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization but resigned in 2015.[18]
Lived in exile?
Yes, after 48 years in exile, Abbas returned to the territories and took residence in both Gaza and Ramallah (1995).[19]
Study abroad?
Yes, he studied abroad in the Soviet Union.
Did the leader receive military training abroad?
No, there is no evidence of military training abroad.
Did the leader have extensive work experience abroad?
Yes, he had extensive work experience abroad.
Serve time in prison? Social connections during that time?
No, there is no evidence he served time in prison.
Was there an assassination attempt on the leader by the state?
No, there is no evidence that a state attempted to assassinate him.
Cause of Death?
N/A
Primary language, and other languages spoken as adult
His primary language is Arabic and he also speaks English.
Image Credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Mahmoud_Abbas_May_2018.jpg/440px-Mahmoud_Abbas_May_2018.jpg
[1] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[2] Benny Morris, “Exposing Abbas,” The National Interest, May 19, 2011, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/exposing-abbas-5335.
[3] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[4] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[5] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[6] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[7] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[8] “MIDDLE EAST :: GAZA STRIP,” CIA, Accessed January 14, 2018, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/print_gz.html.
[9] “Mahmoud Abbas Fast Facts,” CNN, December 19, 2017, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/world/meast/mahmoud-abbas---fast-facts/index.html.
[10] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[11] “Mahmoud Abbas Biography,” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/A-Ca/Abbas-Mahmoud.html.
[12] Ronan Bergman, “Abbas' book reveals: The 'Nazi-Zionist plot' of the Holocaust,” ynetnews.com, November 26, 2014, Accessed January 14, 2018, https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4596121,00.html.
[13] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[14] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[15] Yoni Ben Menachem, “Mahmoud Abbas and Iran,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, November 20, 2017, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://jcpa.org/mahmoud-abbas-iran/.
[16] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[17] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
[18] Khaled Abu Toameh, “Purported Abbas resignation from PLO Executive Committee ridiculed as 'silly show',” The Jerusalem Post, February 26, 2016, Accessed January 14, 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20160226064619/http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Purported-Abbas-resignation-from-PLO-Executive-Committee-ridiculed-as-silly-show-413006.
[19] “Mahmoud Abbas,” Jewish Virtual Library, Accessed January 14, 2018, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mahmoud-abbas.
