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• Fatah, literally translating to "opening," is a reverse acronym of the Arabic name "Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini," meaning "Palestinian National Liberation Movement." Fatah is a secular major opposition political party in Palestine and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization, a multi-party confederation. Founded in 1959 by Yasser Arafat, Fatah has supported a number of military organizations under its jurisdiction, though, unlike its rival Hamas, is not labeled a terrorist organization by any nation. In 1993, under the leadership of Arafat, Fatah officially recognized the state of Israel and formally denounced terrorism. In the 2006 Fatah lost its majority in the Palestinian National Authority and officially assumed the role of the opposition.

• Fast Facts

  1. 1950s: Founded by Yasser Arafat to promote armed struggle to liberate all Palestine from Israeli control
  2. Fatah is a reverse acronym from the Arabic Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini
  3. Full translation: "Palestinian National Liberation Movement"
  4. Fatah lost power in the 2006 parliamentary elections to Hamas

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