Key Points:

DO YOU KNOW that the man who is now called the “Father of Modern Terrorism” actually used to call Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi his sister? The man was Yasser Arafat (1929-2004), who was once the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the co-founder of Fatah, a political party of Palestine. Yasser, as a political figure, is deeply polarizing, with one side calling him a terrorist icon and the other side calling him a national liberation hero. As per historical records, he used to call Indira his sister, and both of them shared a very close relationship.

India has supported Palestine since it got independence, with Jawaharlal Nehru voting against the partition of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly resolution. But during the time of Indira Gandhi’s governance, the support increased, and India consistently backed Palestinian rights, condemning Israel’s occupation. But as per historical documentation and debate, Yasser was closely linked to the 1972 Munich Olympic terrorist attack, where 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed.

See Also: The Story of Two “People’s Representatives” Who Hijacked a Plane With Toy Guns For Indira Gandhi and Called It a Protest. Did Democracy Win or Did Power Rule?

Indira Gandhi and Yasser Arafat’s Relationship

The relationship between the two was remarkably close and openly defined by familial terms. Yasser used to visit India several times when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister and used to call her “my sister.” According to some historical accounts, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, Arafat visited India for her funeral and cried like a child. 

In 1974, India became the first non-Arab country to officially recognise the PLO, led by Yasser Arafat, as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. With the constant visits of Yasser to India during Indira Gandhi’s tenure, the diplomatic ties between the two governments strengthened, and India even allowed the PLO to open an office in New Delhi in 1975.

Later, in 1988, after the PLO announced the independence of the Palestinian state, India became one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian state. The story doesn’t end here. After Indira’s death, Yasser even received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1988 from the Government of India under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi. There were also rumors that Yasser was given crores of rupees and a Boeing 747 as a gift by India, but there is no confirmation of the claims regarding the plane and money.

Why is Yaseer Arafat Called ‘Father of Modern Terrorism’?

The history of Yasser Arafat is not an easy one and remains deeply contested, with some describing him as a “terrorist” while others view him as a “peace leader.” Arafat was born in 1929 and became one of the most prominent leaders of the Palestinian national movement. In the late 1950s, he helped establish Fatah (Victory), a Palestinian nationalist movement that later became the dominant faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 1969, Arafat became chairman of the PLO’s Executive Committee. He later became president of the Palestinian National Authority.

See Also: Indira Gandhi–MO Mathai Affair: At One Point, Mathai Wrote About the Taste of Her Breast Milk

Arafat was a key figure in the negotiations between Palestinians and Israel, particularly the Oslo Accords of 1993 — a pair of interim agreements between the PLO and Israel. Then later in 1994, Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East.

But despite this Arafat’s political and militant history has remained controversial. Fatah, which he helped establish, was involved in many armed operations against Israel, while the PLO and its factions were involved in armed attacks and acts of terrorism during the 1960s and 1970s. The PLO was also linked to some attacks outside the region, including aircraft hijackings.

But one major incident was the 1972 Munich Olympics attack, which was carried out by Black September, a Palestinian militant organisation. Black September Organisation (BSO) has been described as having links to Fatah, which was co-founded by Yasser. The attackers during the Olympic Games killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team and took nine others hostage, all of whom were later killed during a failed rescue attempt. This incident became one of the most internationally prominent acts of Palestinian militant violence of the period and contributed to Arafat’s image as the “father of modern terrorism” by some critics and political commentators, along with media houses like CBS. 

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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