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.
Fatah Timeline
1958: Yasser Arafat helps found the Fatah movement
1964: PLO founded
1965: Fatah creates military wing
1967: Israel wins 6 day war
1969: Fatah gained control of the executive bodies of the PLO
1978: PLO headquarters in Beirut bombed, 150 killed
1987: Hamas founded
1987: The First Intifada
1993: Oslo Accords
2000: The Second Intifada
2006, Jan: Hamas victorious in legislative election
2007, June: Hamas attempts takeover of Gaza ending coalition with Fatah
