HISTORICAL FIGURES
People to Know
ARAB LEADERS:
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Anwar Sadat (1918-1981): President of Egypt who negotiated the 1978 Camp David Accords and a 1979 peace treaty with Israel. Assassinated in 1981.
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Yasser Arafat (1929-2004): Co-founded Fatah in the late 1950s, Chairman of the PLO from 1969-2004, negotiator of 1993 Oslo Accords, received 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Rabin and Peres. Member of Fatah.
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Shiekh Ahmed Yassin (ca. 1930-2004): Co-founder of Hamas, imprisoned by Israel in 1989 and released in 1997, killed by Israel in 2004.
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Mahmoud Abbas (1935-): Installed as Palestinian Prime Minister in 2003, named head of the PLO in 2004 after the death of Arafat, and has remained in office ever since; worked with Ariel Sharon during withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
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ISRAELI LEADERS:
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David Ben Gurion (1886-1973): First prime minister of Israel
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Golda Meir (1898-1978): Immigrated to Israel in 1921 and was Israel’s first (and only) female prime minister. She resigned in 1974 after the Yom Kippur War.
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Menachim Begin (1913-1992): Was a military leader before becoming Israel’s prime minister from 1977-1982. Signed the Camp David Accords of 1978 along with Anwar Sadat of Egypt, winning them both Boel Peace Prizes.
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Moshe Dayan (1915-1981): Became chief of Staff of the Israeli Army in 1953 after serving as a commander in the Haganah and Israeli Defense Force. Dayan was Defense Minister during and Six Day War and also later served as Foreign Minister.
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Yitzchak Rabin (1922-1995): Prime Minister of Israel who negotiated the Oslo Accords with the PLO in 1993, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Arafat and Perez for their efforts towards peace. Assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing Jew.
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Shimon Perez (1923-): Former Israeli President and Prime Minister, helped negotiate the Oslo Accords with Yitzhak Rabin in 1993 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Arafat and Rabin for their efforts.
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Ariel Sharon (1928-2014): Israeli general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Israel from 2001-2006. Forced to resign as Defense Minister after the Lebanon War. Oversaw withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
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Benjamin Netanyahu (1949-): First served as prime minister from 1996-1999, current Prime minister of Israel since 2009; member of the Likud party.
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