Mahmoud Abbas

  • Mahmoud Abbas
  • Abu Mazen
مَحْمُود عَبَّاس
أَبُو مَازِن
Abbas in 2023
2nd President of Palestine
Assumed office
8 May 2005[a][1]
Preceded byYasser Arafat
2nd President of the Palestinian National Authority
Assumed office
15 January 2005[b]
Prime Minister
Preceded by
4th Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization
Assumed office
29 October 2004[c]
Preceded byYasser Arafat
Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority
In office
19 March 2003 – 6 September 2003[4]
PresidentYasser Arafat
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAhmed Qurei
Personal details
Born (1935-11-15) 15 November 1935 (age 88)
Safed, Mandatory Palestine (now in Israel)
NationalityPalestinian
Political partyFatah
SpouseAmina Abbas
Children3, including Yasser
Residence(s)Ramallah, West Bank[5]
Alma mater

Mahmoud Abbas (Arabic: مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, romanizedMaḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 15 November 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen (Arabic: أَبُو مَازِن, ʾAbū Māzin), is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).[6] He has been the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 2004, PNA president since January 2005, and State of Palestine president since May 2005. Abbas is also a member of the Fatah party and was elected chairman in 2009.

Abbas was elected on 9 January 2005 to serve as President of the Palestinian National Authority until 15 January 2009, but extended his term until the next election in 2010, citing the PLO constitution, and on 16 December 2009 was voted into office indefinitely by the PLO Central Council. As a result, Fatah's main rival, Hamas, initially announced that it would not recognize the extension or view Abbas as the rightful president.[7][8][9] Nonetheless, Abbas is internationally recognized in his position(s) and Hamas and Fatah conducted numerous negotiations in the following years,[10] leading to an agreement in April 2014 for a Unity Government (which lasted until October 2016) and to the recognition of his office by Hamas.[3] Abbas was also chosen as the president of the State of Palestine by the PLO Central Council on 23 November 2008,[1] a position he had held unofficially since 8 May 2005.[11]

Abbas served as the first prime minister of the Palestinian Authority from March to September 2003.[12] Before being named prime minister, Abbas led the PLO Negotiations Affairs Department. Abbas has been subject to both criticism and controversy, having been accused of corruption, as well as distorting Jewish history and engaging in Holocaust denial.[13][14]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference p2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jpost 2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Keinon, Herb (10 May 2014). "Politics: Fatah-Hamas unity talks breed Likud harmony". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ap_060903 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Britannica was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Current talks 'last chance' for just peace with Israel, Palestinian leader tells UN". United Nations News Centre. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Hamas: Abbas no longer president". United Press International. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  8. ^ Abu Toameh, Khaled (14 December 2008). "Abbas planning to extend his own term". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  9. ^ Abu Toameh, Khaled (9 January 2009). "Hamas: Abbas no longer heads PA". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  10. ^ Abu Toameh, Khaled (5 March 2012). "No political differences between Fatah, Hamas". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  11. ^ "PLO asks Mahmud Abbas to be acting president of "state of Palestine"". Al Jazeera. 8 May 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2020 – via NewsLibrary.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference CNN_060903 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ al-Omari, Ghaith (19 October 2023). "How the Palestinian Authority Failed Its People". The Atlantic. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Outrage over Abbas's antisemitic speech on Jews and Holocaust". BBC News. 7 September 2023.

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