107-604: The Fatah Revolutionary Council (FRC) is Fatah ’s internal parliamentary body and its second most prominent institution after the Central Committee of Fatah . It consists of approximately 80 members elected from a pool of approximately 1400 party members including civil and military personalities during the Fatah General Congress, from whom another 21 members are also elected for Fatah’s Central Committee. Candidates may only be nominated if they're over
214-690: A mixed voting system rather than the majority electoral system used in 1996. In June 2005, the PLC legislated to give effect to the Cairo Declaration , increasing its membership from 88 to 132, with half being elected by proportional representation and half by plurality-at-large voting in traditional constituencies. Palestinian voters in both the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem ) were eligible to participate in
321-548: A new government was formed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh . After the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on 25 June 2006, Israel launched a series of raids into Gaza and the West Bank. Israel destroyed civilian infrastructure and arrested dozens of Hamas supporters, including elected cabinet ministers and members of the PLC. On 28 June overnight, the army invaded Gaza and performed airstrikes, bombing infrastructure such as bridges and an electricity station. On 29 June,
428-613: A Palestinian Authority dominated by Hamas alarmed Western governments, which provided foreign aid that made up almost half of the PNA's budget . It was fear of a Hamas victory that was largely credited with driving the reconciliation between the main Fatah list and the Al-Mustaqbal breakaway faction. The Independent Palestine list was headed by Mustafa Barghouti , a distant relative of Marwan Barghouti. Mustafa Barghouti came in second in
535-520: A limited number of Palestinians in East Jerusalem would be able to cast votes at post offices, as they did in 1996. Palestinian candidates will also be allowed to campaign in East Jerusalem as long as they register with Israeli police—and, a police spokesman noted, "Anyone who is a supporter of Hamas will not receive permission." The Israeli police arrested campaigners of Hamas and closed at least three Hamas election offices in East Jerusalem during
642-511: A majority of PLC seats. A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research estimated that Fatah had won 42% of the national vote and Hamas 35%; the margin of error was 4%. Another exit poll, conducted by Birzeit University , largely viewed as the most authoritative estimation, had Fatah with 46.4% of the vote and Hamas with 39.5%; their tentative prediction of seat allocation had Fatah with 63 seats, four short of
749-622: A majority; Hamas 58; the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa list 3; The Third Way 2; Independent Palestine 2; The Alternative 2; and two independents. Leaders from both Hamas and Fatah, however, announced on Thursday morning that Hamas was expected to win a majority. Ismail Haniyeh , who topped the Change and Reform (Hamas) list claimed "Hamas has won more than 70 seats in Gaza and the West Bank". Another Hamas leader, Musheer al-Masri claimed
856-555: A more hardline position from exile in Tunis . Since Arafat's death, he is formally head of Fatah's political bureau and chairman, but his actual political following within Fatah appears limited. He has at times openly challenged the legitimacy of Abbas and harshly criticized both him and Mohammed Dahlan , but despite threats to splinter the movement, he remains in his position, and his challenges have so far been fruitless. Another influential veteran, Hani al-Hassan , has also openly criticized
963-783: A multinational force – to exile in Tunis . Despite the exile, many Fatah commanders and fighters remained in Lebanon, and they faced the War of the Camps in the 1980s in their fight with the Shia Amal Movement and also in connection with internal schisms within the Palestinian factions. In the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords , Fatah, as part of the PLO , made some interim agreements with Israel, including recognition of Israel by
1070-607: A new "internal charter". 2006 election for the PLC Legislative elections were held in the Palestinian territories on 25 January 2006 in order to elect the second Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). The result was a victory for Hamas , contesting under the list name of Change and Reform, which received 44.45% of
1177-439: A new government. The new government with Haniyeh as Prime Minister was sworn in on 29 March. As of November 2024, no new elections have been held since this one. The 2006 elections were the second elections to the PLC. The first elections took place in 1996, but the subsequent elections had been postponed for many years due to disagreements between Fatah and Hamas. Hamas was considered a terrorist organization by countries like
SECTION 10
#17327916783581284-681: A number of militant groups , which carried out attacks against military targets as well as Israeli civllians, notably including the 1978 Coastal Road massacre , though the group disengaged from armed conflict against Israel around the time of the Oslo Accords , when it recognised Israel, which gave it limited control over the Occupied Palestinian territories . During the Second Intifada (2000–2005), Fatah intensified armed conflict against Israel, claiming responsibility for
1391-405: A number of militant groups since its founding. Its mainstream military branch is al-'Asifah . Fatah is generally considered to have had a strong involvement in terrorism in the past, though unlike its rival Islamist faction Hamas , Fatah is no longer regarded as a terrorist organization by any government. Fatah used to be designated terrorist under Israeli law and was considered terrorist by
1498-425: A number of suicide attacks . Fatah had been closely identified with the leadership of its founder and chairman, Yasser Arafat , until his death in 2004, when Farouk Kaddoumi constitutionally succeeded him to the position of Fatah Chairman and continued in the position until 2009, when Abbas was elected chairman. Since Arafat's death, factionalism within the ideologically diverse movement has become more apparent. In
1605-454: A position in government. US President George Bush was not willing to press for Hamas' exclusion from the election process. Abu Mazen (Abbas) was confident that Fatah would win the elections, as was Bush, who urged that the elections should take place. The Guardian observed that the unforeseen election win by Hamas "was seen as an affront to the central premise of the Bush administration's policy in
1712-539: A rescue effort. PLO cross-border raids against Israel grew somewhat during the late 1970s. One of the most severe – known as the Coastal Road massacre – occurred on 11 March 1978. A force of nearly a dozen Fatah fighters landed their boats near a major coastal road connecting the city of Haifa with Tel Aviv-Yafo . There they hijacked a bus and sprayed gunfire inside and at passing vehicles, killing thirty-seven civilians. In response,
1819-493: A soccer tournament, street cleaning, and computers at community centers. USAID removed its usual branding requirement on its sponsored activities. As a result, the US was accused of trying to influence the outcome of the elections. The European Union supplied election observers to "assess the whole election process, including the legal framework, the political environment and campaign, electoral preparations, voting and counting as well as
1926-527: A splinter group of Fatah. In November 1971, the group assassinated Jordanian prime minister Wasfi al-Tal as retaliation to Abu Ali Iyad's execution. In the 1960s and the 1970s, Fatah provided training to a wide range of European, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African militant and insurgent groups, and carried out numerous attacks against Israeli targets in Western Europe and the Middle East during
2033-435: Is just holding its first general congress in two decades. Because of this, the movement remains largely dominated by aging cadres from the pre-Oslo era of Palestinian politics. Several of them gained their positions through the patronage of Yasser Arafat, who balanced above the different factions, and the era after his death in 2004 has seen increased infighting among these groups, who jockey for influence over future development,
2140-477: Is tasked with a variety of responsibilities, the most notable of which are to supervise the work of the Central Committee and to approve internal policies and their interpretation. It also replaces vacancies on the Central Committee in the event of death, withdrawal, or expulsion. It also takes on the responsibility of dismissing or freezing members' memberships, whether in the Central Committee or any of
2247-709: Is the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the second-largest party in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Mahmoud Abbas , the President of the Palestinian Authority , is the chairman of Fatah. Fatah was historically involved in armed struggle against the state of Israel (as well as Jordan during the Black September conflict in 1970–1971) and maintained
SECTION 20
#17327916783582354-727: Is the name of the 48th sura (chapter) of the Quran which, according to major Muslim commentators, details the story of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah . During the peaceful two years after the Hudaybiyyah treaty, many converted to Islam, increasing the strength of the Muslim side. It was the breach of this treaty by the Quraysh that triggered the conquest of Mecca . This Islamic precedent was cited by Yasser Arafat as justification for his signing
2461-577: The 2005 Palestinian presidential election . The main component of this list was the Palestinian National Initiative . The list promised to fight corruption and nepotism, to demand the dismantling of the Israeli West Bank barrier , which it terms the "apartheid wall", and to provide "a truly democratic and independent 'third way' for the large majority of silent and unrepresented Palestinian voters, who favour neither
2568-434: The 2006 election for the PLC , the party lost its majority in the PLC to Hamas . The Hamas legislative victory led to a conflict between Fatah and Hamas , with Fatah retaining control of the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank through its president. Fatah is also active in the control of Palestinian refugee camps . The full name of the movement is Ḥ arakat al- T aḥrīr al-Waṭanī l- F ilasṭīnī , meaning
2675-721: The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), withdrew their forces from the town. Fatah leaders were advised by a pro-Fatah Jordanian divisional commander to withdraw their men and headquarters to nearby hills, but on Arafat's orders, Fatah remained, and the Jordanian Army agreed to back them if heavy fighting ensued. On the night of 21 March, the IDF attacked Karameh with heavy weaponry, armored vehicles and fighter jets. Fatah held its ground, surprising
2782-790: The Muslim Brotherhood . Yasser Arafat had previously been head of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at the Cairo University (1952–1956), whilst another co-founder, Khaled Yashruti , then a 22-year-old student, was the GUPS head in Beirut. Upon founding, Arafat summoned Mahmud Abbas (who was residing in Qatar , then a British protectorate) to join. The group of Gulf-based young Palestinian professionals were
2889-578: The National Coalition for Justice and Democracy , the Wa'ad list was headed by Gazan Eyad El-Sarraj , who was a consultant to the Palestinian delegation to the Camp David 2000 Summit and heads a group of Palestinian and Israeli academics working towards a peace agreement. The list's main platform is security reforms, establishing the rule of law and respect for human rights. In the lead-up to
2996-622: The Oslo Accords with Israel. The Fatah movement was founded in 1959 by members of the Palestinian diaspora , principally by professionals working in the Persian Gulf States , especially Kuwait (then a British protectorate) where the founders Salah Khalaf , Khalil al-Wazir , Yasser Arafat resided. The founders had studied in Cairo or Beirut and had been refugees in Gaza . Salah Khalaf and Khalil al-Wazir were official members of
3103-757: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1967, and was allocated 33 of 105 seats in the PLO Executive Committee . Fatah's Yasser Arafat became Chairman of the PLO in 1969, after the position was ceded to him by Yahya Hammuda . According to the BBC , "Mr Arafat took over as chairman of the executive committee of the PLO in 1969, a year that Fatah is recorded to have carried out 2,432 guerrilla attacks on Israel." Throughout 1968, Fatah and other Palestinian armed groups were
3210-484: The Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories . The Quartet set three conditions for the Hamas-led government—recognition of the agreements signed between Israel and the PLO, recognition of Israel, and renunciation of support for terrorism—all three of which Hamas refused. On 28 January 2006, Israel said it would prevent Hamas leaders, including newly elected PLC deputies, from travelling between
3317-672: The Socialist International and has "Observer Party" status within the Party of European Socialists . The November 1959 edition of Fatah's underground journal Filastinuna Nida al-Hayat indicated that the movement was motivated by the status of the Palestinian refugees in the Arab world: Armed struggle – as manifested in the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine and the military role of Palestinian fighters under
Fatah Revolutionary Council - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-763: The Syrian -backed Palestinian factions of as-Sa'iqa and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC) led by Ahmad Jibril to fight alongside the Christian forces against the PLO and the LNM. The primary component of the Christian militias was the Maronite Phalangists . Phalangist forces killed twenty-six Fatah trainees on a bus in April 1975, marking the official start of
3531-704: The Uganda–Tanzania War . Members of the organization fought alongside the Uganda Army and Libyan troops against the Tanzania People's Defence Force during the Battle of Lukaya and the Fall of Kampala , but were eventually forced to retreat from the country. Since the death of Eljamal in 1968, the Palestinian cause had a large base of supporters in Lebanon. Although hesitant at first to take sides in
3638-720: The United States Department of State and United States Congress until it renounced terrorism in 1988. Fatah has, since its inception, created, led or sponsored a number of armed groups and militias, some of which have had an official standing as the movement's armed wing, and some of which have not been publicly or even internally recognized as such. The group has also dominated various PLO and Palestinian Authority forces and security services which were/are not officially tied to Fatah, but in practice have served as wholly pro-Fatah armed units, and been staffed largely by members. The original name for Fatah's armed wing
3745-661: The "Palestinian National Liberation Movement". From this was crafted the inverted and reverse acronym Fatḥ (generally rendered in English as Fatah ), meaning "opening", "conquering", or "victory". The word fatḥ is used in religious discourse to signify the Islamic expansion in the first centuries of Islamic history – as in Fatḥ al-Shām , the "conquering of the Levant ". Fatḥ also has religious significance in that it
3852-546: The 15-year-long Lebanese civil war. Later that year, an alliance of Christian militias overran the Palestinian refugee camp of Karantina killing over 1,000 civilians. The PLO and LNM retaliated by attacking the town of Damour , a Phalangist and Tigers (Ahrar) stronghold, killing 684 civilians. As the civil war progressed over 2 years of urban warfare, both parties resorted to massive artillery duels and heavy use of sniper nests, while atrocities and war crimes were committed by both sides. In 1976, with strategic planning help from
3959-688: The 1970s. Some militant groups that affiliated themselves to Fatah, and some of the fedayeen within Fatah itself, carried out civilian- aircraft hijackings and terrorist attacks, attributing them to Black September, Abu Nidal 's Fatah-Revolutionary Council , Abu Musa 's group, the PFLP, and the PFLP-GC. Fatah received weapons, explosives and training from the Soviet Union and some of the communist states of East Europe . China and Algeria also provided munitions. In 1979, Fatah aided Uganda during
4066-537: The 30 January decision, writing in his memoirs he was "uncertain it was right", while Tony Blair later wished the Quartet had instead tried to enter a dialogue with Hamas, rather than isolate them. Similarly, in 2017, Jonathan Powell called the Quartet approach a "terrible mistake" and missed opportunity to "unite Palestinians in a way that's been impossible since". Prior to the 2006 elections, Israel had concerns that Hamas might win enough seats that it could demand
4173-493: The Arab Thought Forum recorded reports of 242 violations in total throughout the election. The Canadian International Development Agency reported that international observers were concerned "about the threat that widespread possession of arms poses to the future of the democratic electoral process." The threat of violence affected the conduct of the election, culminating in a few violent confrontations and undermining
4280-518: The BBC about the difficulties of Fatah leadership: "I think it's very, very serious – it's becoming obvious that they can't agree on anything." Fatah is "widely seen as being in desperate need of reform," as "the PA's performance has been a story of corruption and incompetence – and Fatah has been tainted." In December 2005, jailed Intifada leader Marwan Barghouti broke ranks with
4387-620: The Central Committee and 80 for the Revolutionary Council. Six new members were added to the Central Committee while 12 were reelected. Outgoing members included Nabil Shaath, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Zakaria al-Agha and Tayib Abdul Rahim. Its leader Abu Ashraf Al-Armoushi and his comrades were killed in the Al-Basateen neighborhood of Ain Al-Helweh camp on 30 July 2023 during a fighting. Fatah has "Member Party" status at
Fatah Revolutionary Council - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-695: The European parliament were included. Edward McMillan-Scott , the British Conservative head of the European Parliament's monitoring team described the polls as "extremely professional, in line with international standards, free, transparent and without violence". His colleague, Italian Communist MEP Luisa Morgantini said there was "a very professional attitude, competence and respect for the rules." All polling stations closed on time (7 p.m.) except for East Jerusalem, where voting
4601-489: The Gaza Strip and the West Bank. On 29 January, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that he would not allow the transfer of any funds that would be used for terrorism and the matter was under review. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared that: "[T]he United States is not prepared to fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel, that advocates violence and that refuses its obligations under
4708-511: The Gaza Strip, 11 seats filled by women (the highest number of votes went to one woman who spent years in Israeli jails for her role in the resistance), four seats went to Christians, and one was filled by a Jewish-born convert to Islam, Uri Davis , the first Jewish-born person to be elected to the Revolutionary Council since its founding in 1958. Fatah activists from the Palestinian diaspora were also represented and included Samir Rifai , Fatah's secretary in Syria, and Khaled Abu Usba. Elected to
4815-418: The IDF detained from the West Bank 8 ministers and 26 PLC members in addition to many other political leaders. By August 2006, Israel had arrested 49 senior Hamas officials, all from the West Bank, including 33 parliamentarians, "because technically they were members of a terrorist organisation although they may not be involved in terrorist acts themselves". Most of the Hamas detainees were moderate members from
4922-448: The IDF launched Operation Litani three days later, with the goal of taking control of Southern Lebanon up to the Litani River . The IDF achieved this goal, and Fatah withdrew to the north into Beirut . Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982. Beirut was soon besieged and bombarded by the IDF; to end the siege, the US and European governments brokered an agreement guaranteeing safe passage for Arafat and Fatah – guarded by
5029-600: The Israeli army's rapid withdrawal. In the late 1960s, tensions between Palestinians and the Jordanian government increased greatly; heavily armed Arab resistance elements had created a virtual "state within a state" in Jordan, eventually controlling several strategic positions in that country. After their victory in the Battle of Karameh, Fatah and other Palestinian militias began taking control of civil life in Jordan. They set up roadblocks, publicly humiliated Jordanian police forces, molested women and levied illegal taxes – all of which Arafat either condoned or ignored. In 1970,
5136-401: The Israeli military. As Israel's forces intensified their campaign, the Jordanian Army became involved, causing the Israelis to retreat in order to avoid a full-scale war. By the end of the battle, nearly 150 Fatah militants had been killed, as well as twenty Jordanian soldiers and twenty-eight Israeli soldiers. Despite the higher Arab death toll, Fatah considered themselves victorious because of
5243-475: The Jordanian government moved to regain control over its territory, and the next day, King Hussein declared martial law . By 25 September, the Jordanian army achieved dominance in the fighting, and two days later Arafat and Hussein agreed to a series of ceasefires. The Jordanian army inflicted heavy casualties upon the Palestinians – including civilians – who suffered approximately 3,500 fatalities. Two thousand Fatah fighters managed to enter Syria . They crossed
5350-432: The Lebanese Army, the alliance of Christian militias, spearheaded by the National Liberal Party of former President Cammille Chamoun militant branch, the noumour el ahrar (NLP Tigers), took a pivotal refugee camp in the Eastern part of Beirut, the Tel al-Zaatar camp, after a six-month siege, also known as Tel al-Zaatar massacre in which hundreds perished. Arafat and Abu Jihad blamed themselves for not successfully organizing
5457-415: The Liberation of Palestine , the Palestinian People's Party , the Palestine Democratic Union (Fida), and various independents. The list was headed by Qais Abd al-Karim (Abu Leila) from the DFLP. The PPP candidate received 2.67% in the 2005 Palestinian presidential election . In the list vote, its best vote was 6.6% in Bethlehem, followed by 4.5% in Ramallah and al-Bireh and 4.0% in Nablus. Also known as
SECTION 50
#17327916783585564-477: The Middle East: that democratic elections would inexorably lead to pro-western governments". PA Prime Minister Qureia and his Cabinet resigned even before the final results were officially announced. Fatah refused to join a new Hamas-led coalition. President Abbas would ask Hamas to form the next Government. On 26 January 2006, Fatah leader Saeb Erakat said his party did not want to join a Hamas Government. The Fatah Central Committee decided that Fatah will not join
5671-448: The PLO. Until his 2004 death, Arafat headed the Palestinian National Authority , the provisional entity created as a result of those Oslo Accords. Soon after Arafat's death, Farouk Kaddoumi was elected to the post, which he continues to hold. Fatah nominated Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian presidential election of 2005 . In 2005, Hamas won in nearly all the municipalities it contested . Political analyst Salah Abdel-Shafi told
5778-408: The Palestinian leadership to adopt moderate views." On 9 August 2009, new members of the Central Committee of Fatah and the Revolutionary Council were chosen. Delegates voted to fill 18 seats on the 23-seat Central Committee, and 81 seats on the 128-seat Revolutionary Council after a week of deliberations. At least 70 new members entered the latter, with 20 seats going to Fatah representatives from
5885-437: The Palestinian territories as a single district, and 66 seats (50%) by the majoritarian system in electoral districts. Each voter received two ballots. On the first, the voter chose one of the registered party lists. 66 of the seats were distributed proportionally (in accordance with the Sainte-Laguë method ) to those lists that received more than 2% of the total list votes cast. The candidates from each list would be elected in
5992-494: The United States generally seen as supportive of Abbas's overall leadership and of Dahlan's security influence, and Syria alleged to promote Faruq al-Qaddumi's challenge to the present leadership. The younger generations of Fatah, especially within the militant al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades , have been more prone to splits, and a number of lesser networks in Gaza and the West Bank have established themselves as either independent organizations or joined Hamas. However, such overt breaks with
6099-406: The United States. Along with this, Yasser Arafat 's cabinet called off the 2003 election because it claimed that the "Israeli military occupation of West Bank cities made a free ballot impossible". After Arafat's death in 2004, a new election was held. In March 2005, twelve Palestinian factions reached an agreement, the Palestinian Cairo Declaration , which called for elections to be held using
6206-408: The West Bank who had been calling on the Gaza leadership to recognise Israel and make the party more acceptable to the international community. Hamas has accused Israel of trying to destroy the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. Economic sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority and individual PLC members elected for Hamas were imposed by Israel and the Quartet on the Middle East against
6313-454: The age of 33, and have been full party members for 15 years uninterrupted. According to the internal regulations of the Fatah movement, the Revolutionary Council must meet periodically every three months, where: a) the Secretary-General invites the members to the meeting or, b) written letter is written by two-thirds of the members to call for a session or, c) in the event of a request by the Central Committee The Fatah Revolutionary Council
6420-427: The autocracy and corruption of the governing Fatah party, nor the fundamentalism of Hamas." This list was formed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and is named after Abu Ali Mustafa , the General Secretary of the PFLP who was assassinated by Israeli forces in 2001. The PFLP is the second largest member of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), after Fatah. The Third Way list
6527-418: The border into Lebanon to join Fatah forces in that country, where they set up their new headquarters. A large group of guerrilla fighters led by Fatah field commander Abu Ali Iyad held out the Jordanian Army's offensive in the northern city of Ajlun until they were decisively defeated in July 1971. Abu Ali Iyad was executed and surviving members of his commando force formed the Black September Organization ,
SECTION 60
#17327916783586634-471: The campaign. On the day of the election, the ballot boxes were held in Israeli Post Offices inside Jerusalem. Israeli police officers were present to monitor the proceedings of the election. At the end of the day the Israeli authorities transferred the ballot boxes to the Palestinian Authority. An 84-delegate international observer delegation monitored the elections. It judged the elections to have been peaceful and well-administered. Twenty-seven members of
6741-503: The candidate was not among top five candidates overall. The six seats reserved for Christians were considered the minimum quota for their representation in the PLC. There were 16 electoral districts, with the number of seats in each determined by its population: Before the 2006 elections the PLC was dominated by the Fatah movement, which held 68 of the 88 seats. However, Fatah had been beset by internal strife, with younger and more popular figures like Mohammed Dahlan (who took part in
6848-403: The candidates with the most votes were elected. For example, a voter in the Nablus district could cast up to six votes; the six candidates with the highest number of votes were elected. In some districts, one or two seats were set aside for the Christian candidates with the most votes. For instance, in Ramallah, a five-seat district, the Christian candidate with the most votes was elected, even if
6955-497: The central council was Fadwa Barghouti, the wife of Marwan Barghouti who was serving five life sentences in Israel for his role in terrorist attacks on civilians in Israel during the Second Intifada . A meeting of the Revolutionary Council was held in Ramallah from 18 to 19 October 2014. Many important questions were discussed, including reconciliation with Hamas. Opinion was divided on this issue. In December 2016, more than 1400 members of Fatah's 7th Congress elected 18 members of
7062-449: The conflict, Arafat and Fatah played an important role in the Lebanese Civil War . Succumbing to pressure from PLO sub-groups such as the PFLP, DFLP and the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), Fatah aligned itself with the communist and Nasserist Lebanese National Movement (LNM). Although originally aligned with Fatah, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad feared a loss of influence in Lebanon and switched sides. He sent his army, along with
7169-445: The constituencies in Qalqilya, Rafah, and Jericho. Jenin was split evenly, and Fatah won the seats reserved for Christians in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Ramallah. The Central Elections Commission said turnout was 74.6%–76.0% in the Gaza Strip and 73.1% in the West Bank. Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei resigned, but at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas , remained as interim Prime Minister until 19 February 2006. On 29 March 2006
7276-423: The core of Fatah in its early days of existence. Fatah espoused a Palestinian nationalist ideology in which Palestinian Arabs would be liberated by their own actions. Immediately after its establishment the name of the movement was first used in Falastinuna which was the official media organ of the Fatah. Fatah became the dominant force in Palestinian politics after the Six-Day War in 1967. Fatah joined
7383-598: The election indicated that two-thirds of Palestinians believed Hamas should change its policy of rejecting Israel's right to exist. Most also supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Post-election polls indicated that Hamas' victory was due largely to Palestinians' desire to end corruption in government rather than support for the organization's political platform. The National Democratic Institute (NDI) in partnership with The Carter Center reported "a professional and impartial performance of election officials". The European Union delegation reported "there
7490-400: The election was widely considered to be free and fair." The Central Elections Commission released the final results on Sunday, 29 January 2006, and announced that Change and Reform (Hamas) had won 74 of the 132 seats, while Fatah trailed with 45. According to the results, Hamas won the large majority of the constituency seats but was more narrowly ahead on the lists. Fatah did beat Hamas in
7597-435: The election would not be held if East Jerusalem voters could not participate. After privately agreeing to use the issue as a pretext for delaying the elections again so as to avoid Hamas electoral gains, Israeli and Palestinian officials raised the issue with the United States. However, President George W. Bush made clear that the elections should go forward as scheduled. On 10 January 2006 Israeli officials announced that
7704-494: The elections, criticised the detentions of persons who "are guilty of nothing more than winning a parliamentary seat in an open and honest election". Israeli obstruction during the election resulted in estimated 123,000 voters in East Jerusalem being prevented from registering until ten days before the elections, creating a number of logistical problems shortly before the election day. The checkpoints of Israel also continued to pose serious obstacles to all Palestiniain parties during
7811-667: The elections, on 26 September 2005 Israel launched a campaign of arrests against PLC members. 450 members of Hamas were detained, mostly those involved in the 2006 PLC elections. The majority of them were kept in administrative detention for different periods. In the election period, 15 PLC members were captured and held as prisoners. During the elections, the Israeli authorities banned the candidates from holding election campaigns inside Jerusalem. Rallies and public meetings were prohibited. The Jerusalem identity cards of some PLC members were also revoked. The Carter Center , which monitored
7918-649: The elections. Earlier, the 2005 municipal elections and the 9 January 2005 presidential election had taken place. The PLC elections were originally scheduled for 17 July 2005, but on 9 August Abbas announced that they would take place in January 2006. On 20 August Abbas set election day as 25 January. On 15 January 2006, Abbas declared that, despite unrest in Gaza, he would not change the election date unless Israel prevented Palestinians in East Jerusalem from voting. Israel had already stated that it would not allow campaigning in East Jerusalem by Hamas, which had carried out
8025-582: The electoral campaign as well as on voting day itself. It was also noted that Palestinian refugees in exile and 9,000 prisoners remained ineligible to vote. On 21 December 2005 Israeli officials stated their intention to prevent voting in East Jerusalem , which, unlike most of the Palestinian-inhabited areas that were planned to participate in the election, was under Israeli civil and military control. (Israel annexed East Jerusalem in
8132-461: The hands of the new government. The money had been intended for infrastructure projects in Gaza. On 30 January, the Quartet called for reviewing support for the future government against its commitment to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap. Then-British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw later regretted
8239-557: The independence of the Central Election Commission. The election also coincided with the period of intensified conflict with Israel - Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of Qassam rockets into Israel between late 2005 and mid-2006, while Israel attacked Palestinian territory with 8000 artillery shells. In summer of 2006, Hamas captured an Israeli soldier, further escalating the conflict. Exit polls indicated that Fatah emerged with more seats than Hamas, but not
8346-566: The leaders of the two factions agreed to submit a single list to voters, headed by Barghouti, who actively campaigned for Fatah from his jail cell. Despite this, the two groups were by no means fully reconciled. The Islamist Hamas movement campaigned as the Change and Reform list, and was Fatah's main political rival. It had refused to participate in the 1996 elections and viewed the Palestinian Authority as illegitimate due to its negotiations with Israel ; while it did not change that position , it fielded candidates in 2006. The prospect of
8453-409: The leadership of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War – was central to Fatah's initial ideology of how to liberate Palestine. Fatah's two most important decision-making bodies are the Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. The Central Committee is mainly an executive body, while the Revolutionary Council is Fatah's legislative body. Fatah has maintained
8560-400: The major single concerns governing voting, 37% considered it to be Safety and Security, while 25% favoured Decreased Corruption. An exit poll conducted by Near East Consulting on 15 February 2006 on voters participating in the 2006 PA elections revealed the following responses to major concerns: World Public Opinion summarised the election voting drivers as follows: The decisive victory of
8667-473: The majority of terror attacks against Israel in the previous five years and refused to recognise Israel or the Oslo Accords . The United States spent $ 2.3 million in USAID on support for the Palestinian elections, allegedly designed to bolster the image of President Abbas and his Fatah party. USAID's Offices used discretionary spending accounts for various projects, including tree planting, schoolroom additions,
8774-562: The meeting, while another 400 from the Gaza Strip were unable to attend the conference after Hamas barred them from traveling to the West Bank . The internal dissension was immediately obvious. Saudi King Abdullah told the delegates that divisions among the Palestinians were more damaging to their cause of an independent state than the Israeli "enemy". Delegates resolved not to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace talks until 14 preconditions were met. Among these preconditions were
8881-512: The militant Islamic group Hamas in last month's Palestinian legislative elections (winning 74 of 132 parliamentary seats) has raised the question of whether the Palestinian public has become aligned with Hamas' rejection of Israel's right to exist and its stated goal of creating an Islamic state covering all of historic Palestine, including what is now Israel. Hamas has come under increasing pressure to renounce its goal of eliminating Israel, but Hamas leaders have refused. However, new polling following
8988-592: The movement have still been rather uncommon, despite numerous rivalries inside and between competing local Fatah groups. The Sixth General Assembly of the Fatah Movement began on 4 August 2009 in Bethlehem , nearly 16 years after the Oslo I Accord and 20 years since the last Fatah convention, after being repeatedly postponed over conflicts ranging from representation to venue. More than 2,000 delegates attended
9095-410: The movement's apparatuses. The Revolutionary Council also works to implement Fatah's General Conference decisions, monitor the work of the Central Committee and the movement's conditions in the regions, and oversee the Fatah movement's military affairs, in addition to discussing the Central Committee's decisions and activities. It also interprets the texts of Fatah's internal regulations in accordance with
9202-610: The movement's regulations, elects the head of the movement's court and the members of its committees, and discusses the reports of the General Conference and Revolutionary Council committees. Fatah's seventh Congress, held in Ramallah in December 2016, elected a new FRC and FCC. This was widely interpreted as Mahmoud Abbas' attempt to tighten his grip on the party by expelling his opponent Mohammed Dahlan and marginalising
9309-527: The negotiations of the 1993 Oslo Accords ) and Marwan Barghouti (serving five life sentences in an Israeli jail on terrorism charges) levelling allegations of corruption against the Fatah leadership. Fatah organised primary elections to determine its candidate list, but the results were disputed and central lists were imposed in some areas. The younger faction submitted a list dubbed Al-Mustaqbal ("the Future"), headed by Barghouti. However, on 28 December 2005,
9416-485: The next Government, but said it would depend on President Abbas. On 28 January 2006, Hamas declared it would try to form a Government of technocrats, if a government with Fatah and all the political groups was not possible. On 29 January 2006, PLC deputies from Fatah confirmed after talks with Abbas that their faction would not join Hamas in a coalition Government and would prefer to sit in opposition, despite calls by Hamas for
9523-427: The occupied West Bank. Knowledge of the operation was available well ahead of time, and the government of Jordan (as well as a number of Fatah commandos) informed Arafat of Israel's large-scale military preparations. Upon hearing the news, many guerrilla groups in the area, including George Habash 's newly formed group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and Nayef Hawatmeh 's breakaway organization
9630-457: The order they appear on the list. Each list had to include at least one woman in the first three names, at least one woman in the next four names, and at least one woman in the five names that followed. The second ballot was for a voter's local electoral district, which may have more than one members to be elected. The voter could cast up to as many votes for individual candidates as there were seats in his or her district. Votes were unweighted, and
9737-461: The party and announced that he had formed a new political list to run in the elections called the al-Mustaqbal ("The Future"), mainly composed of members of Fatah's "Young Guard." These younger leaders have repeatedly expressed frustration with the entrenched corruption in the party, which has been run by the "Old Guard" who returned from exile in Tunisia following the Oslo Accords . Al-Mustaqbal
9844-423: The party expected to win 77 seats. Aljazeera reported Fatah officials conceding defeat. Prime minister Ahmed Qurei resigned on Thursday morning, along with his cabinet, saying it now fell to Hamas to form a government. Hamas leader al-Masri called for a "political partnership" with Fatah, but prominent Fatah leader, Jibril Rajoub , rejected a coalition and called on Fatah to form a "responsible opposition". On
9951-426: The political line, funds, and constituencies. There is concern over the succession once Abbas leaves power. There have been no open splits within the older generation of Fatah politicians since the 1980s, though there is occasional friction between members of the top leadership. One founding member, Faruq al-Qaddumi (Abu Lutf), continues to openly oppose the post-Oslo arrangements and has intensified his campaign for
10058-559: The popular Fatah figure Marwan Barghouti. Fatah Fatah ( / ˈ f ɑː t ə , f ə ˈ t ɑː / FAH -tə, fə- TAH ; Arabic : فتح , romanized : Fatḥ , Palestinian pronunciation: [ˈfʌtɑħ] ), formally the Palestinian National Liberation Movement ( حركة التحرير الوطني الفلسطيني , Ḥarakat at-Taḥrīr al-Waṭanī l-Filasṭīnī ), is a Palestinian nationalist and social democratic political party. It
10165-452: The post-election period". In the 1996 elections 88 PLC members were chosen from several multi-member constituencies via block voting . In advance of the 2006 elections, the electoral law was changed to enlarge the PLC from 88 to 132 seats and to introduce a degree of proportional representation via a parallel voting system. The mixed voting system divided PLC seats into two groups: 66 seats (50%) elected by proportional representation of
10272-403: The present leadership. Fatah's internal conflicts have also, due to the creation of the Palestinian Authority, merged with the turf wars between different PA security services, e.g., a longstanding rivalry between the West Bank ( Jibril Rajoub ) and Gaza (Muhammad Dahlan) branches of the powerful Preventive Security Service. Foreign backing for different factions contribute to conflict, e.g., with
10379-513: The progress, however, the voting process was plagued by a series of manipulations. Violations were committed by both major political parties, namely Fatah and Hamas. Although, the observers reported, Hamas had an advantage in mobilizing Palestinian facilities for its own political purposes." Violating the code of conduct, Hamas was able to use its militias and networks for propaganda and intimidation purposes, as well as heavily utilizing mosques for that purpose. A national monitoring committee set up by
10486-421: The release of all Israel-held Palestinian prisoners, a freeze on all Israeli settlement construction, and an end to the Gaza blockade . By affirming its option for "armed resistance" against Israel, Fatah appealed to Palestinians who wanted a more hardline response to Israel. Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon said the conference was a "serious blow to peace" and "was another lost opportunity for
10593-415: The roadmap to which everyone is committed." US senators echoed this sentiment saying that aid should be cut to a Hamas-led Palestinian Government unless Hamas abolished the militant arm of its party and stopped calling for the destruction of Israel. On 17 February, one day before the new parliament was sworn in, the then Fatah-led government returned $ 50 million US aid that Washington did not want to come in
10700-612: The target of a major Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the Jordanian village of Karameh , where the Fatah headquarters – as well as a mid-sized Palestinian refugee camp – were located. The town's name is the Arabic word for "dignity", which elevated its symbolism to the Arab people, especially after the Arab defeat in 1967. The operation was in response to attacks against Israel, including rockets strikes from Fatah and other Palestinian militias into
10807-418: The vote and won 74 of the 132 seats, whilst the ruling Fatah received 41.43% of the vote and won 45 seats. The newly elected PLC met for the first time on 18 February 2006. Incumbent Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei tendered his resignation on 26 January 2006, but remained interim Prime Minister at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas . On 20 February, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was nominated to form
10914-675: The wake of the Six-Day War ; this move was not recognized by most other governments, or by the PNA, which claims Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital.) Israel's stated motivation was not the argument about sovereignty over the area (Palestinian voters in East Jerusalem had been allowed to vote in previous PNA elections despite the dispute) but concern over Hamas' participation in—and potential victory in—the election. Muhammad Abu Tir , Mustafa Barghouti , and Hanan Ashrawi were all briefly detained by Israeli police when they attempted to campaign in East Jerusalem. In response, PNA officials stated that
11021-645: Was al-'Asifah ("The Storm"), and this was also the name Fatah first used in its communiques, trying for some time to conceal its identity. This name has since been applied more generally to Fatah armed forces, and does not correspond to a single unit today. Other militant groups associated with Fatah include: During the Second Intifada, the group was a member of the Palestinian National and Islamic Forces . In August 2009, at Fatah's Sixth General Conference in Bethlehem , Fatah delegates drew up
11128-527: Was extended by the permitted two extra hours. Hamas protested this extension, claiming it only served Fatah; the Central Elections Committee stated that voting hours were "extended upon the approval of the Israeli authorities due to lengthy queues as a result of obstructions by post office workers." The militant Islamist group Islamic Jihad called on Palestinians to boycott the election . R. Michael Alvarez argued that "despite all
11235-570: Was headed by Finance Minister Salam Fayyad and former PA Minister of Higher Education and Research Hanan Ashrawi . Their platform focused on reform of the security forces, democratic improvements and socioeconomic progress. In the run up to the election a Fatah leader in Nablus accused the Third Way of receiving funds from the CIA. The Alternative list was a coalition of the Democratic Front for
11342-436: Was nothing which would indicate that the final result was not the outcome chosen by the voters". A CRS Report for Congress on the 2006 elections concluded: "The election was overseen by 17,268 domestic observers, complemented by 900 credentialed international monitors. ... The Bush Administration accepted the outcome of the Palestinian legislative elections and praised the PA for holding free and fair elections. ... The conduct of
11449-450: Was to campaign against Fatah in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election , presenting a list including Mohammed Dahlan , Kadoura Fares , Samir Mashharawi and Jibril Rajoub . However, on 28 December 2005, the leadership of the two factions agreed to submit a single list to voters, headed by Barghouti, who began actively campaigning for Fatah from his jail cell. There have been numerous other expressions of discontent within Fatah, which
#357642