Mohammed Dahlan

Mohammed Dahlan (محمد دحلان), (Muhammad Dahlan) also known by the kunya or nom de guerre Abu Fadi , is a Palestinian politician, the leader of Fatah in Gaza. Dahlan was born on September 29, 1961 in Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza to a refugee family from Hamama. In 1981 he helped found the Gaza branch of the Fatah Youth Movement Shabibat Fatah.He was jailed by the Israelis 11 times between 1981 and 1986 for his involvement in the movement. During his time in prison, he learned to speak fluent Hebrew. Throughout his time out of prison, Dahlan was studying a BA in Business Administration at the Islamic University of Gaza. In 2007, Dahlan helped organize a U.S. plan to overthrow Hamas forces in Gaza, but the coup failed when Hamas carried out a counter-coup, and routed Fatah forces in Gaza instead.

Political career Mohammad Dahlan (Muhammad Yusuf Shakir Dahlan) also known by (Abu Fadi) was born in Gaza Strip in 1961. He grew up in Khan Younis Refugee Camp. He is the youngest of six children born to a refugee family from Hamama, Palestine. His father was migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, therefore he was more attached to his mother (Sireeh). His mother is considered one of the combatant Palestinians mothers; she has been arrested once by the Israeli soldiers and put in Jail with her son Mohammad. Unfortunately, she has died last year on 17 January 2009, which left Mohammad Dahlan in enviable situation. During his time in Khan Younis, he attended the Islamic University where he studied Business Administration and got his Bachelor Degree from there. Mr. Dahlan become politically active as a teenager and helped to establish the Fatah Youth Movement in 1981. He has been arrested eleven times by the Israelis for his involvements as a leader of Fatah youth movement (Shabiba) in Gaza Strip. The arrests occurred between the years 1981- 1986. Mohammad Dahlan began his career on a path that is rare among other Palestinians. After the first Intifada broke out, Dahlan become one of the uprising leaders in Gaza, but he was swiftly arrested and deported by the Israelis to Jordan in 1988, then from Jordan to Egypt, and finally to Iraq. He then joined the PLO based in Tunis, from where he helped to organize the ongoing protests in the West Bank and Gaza, allowing him to gain President Arafat’s confidence.

Having earned President Arafat’s confidence allows Dahlan to return with him to Gaza in July 1994.There he was rewarded the control of the Preventive Security Forces for the Gaza Strip (one of the PA’s major security forces), and the Fatah movement in Gaza. The control of these two major organizations gave Dahlan the popularity and power.

Dahlan’s goal was to get rid of the occupation and let Palestinian people live in peace. The best way to do this was by being a regular member, specializing on security issues, of the Palestinian negotiation team that negotiated Israeli redeployments, the return of Palestinians expelled since 1967, and prisoner releases during the Oslo process. He also participated in the Wye River negotiations (1999), and was a member of the Palestinian negotiation team Camp David (2000) and Taba (2001). Therefore, he was regarded by the Israelis as a pragmatist, with whom they could do business. Thus, in June 2002 he accepted his appointed position as President Arafat National Advisor where he held the post for three months. Recognized as a high-politician in April 2003, however, after strong opposition by President Arafat, Mohammed Dahlan was chosen by Mahmoud Abbas, the newly appointed Prime Minister, to become the Minister of State for Security. In February 2005, Dahlan career took another leap forward as he becomes the Minister of Civil Affairs under the government of Prime Minister “Ahmed Qoreï”. Moreover, He was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council on January 26, 2006 as a representative of Khan Younis. In 2007, Dahlan moved to the Palestinian National Security Council appointed by Mahmoud Abbas. More recently, in 2010 Dahlan was elected in the sixth conference for Fatah Movement to become a member of Central Committee, and commissioner of Media & Culture. Today, Mohammad Dahlan resides with his wife, Dr. Jalelah Dahlan, in Ramallah, Palestine. With four grown children, Fadi, Firas, Hadeel, and Aseel. Dahlan can be reached at 2403421 and he maintains a personal website at www.dahlan.ps with additional information regarding his career.

Criticism

Other Palestinians have criticized Dahlan. Jibril Rajoub, with whom he cultivated a deep and personal rivalry, claimed for example in 2003 that everybody knew Dahlan was an Israeli agent. He has also been criticized for his good relationship with Arafat's long-time financial adviser Muhammad Rashid and Dahlan's own London-based business. Dahlan has been alleged to have enriched himself through corruption.

Others claim that he, for the sake of deterring political rivals and counterweighting the numerous armed militias, maintained in 2003 and 2004 a private army in the Gaza Strip which was trained and equipped by American services.

Dahlan also was under criticism regarding his role in Gaza turmoil, to which he contributed his share, especially in exchanging hostilities with Gazan rival Ghazi Jabali. In 2003, gunmen stormed and raided the offices of the latter's General Security organization (and reportedly went so far as to dunk his head into a toilet several times); they were said to be followers of Dahlan's ally Rashid Abu Shbak, head of the Preventive Security Service organization (Note that although Dahlan doesn't head this organization any more, he is still widely believed to have great influence on its leadership).

Sources

• Dahlan, Mohammed: European Institute for Research on Mediterranean and Euro-Arab Cooperation
• Profile: Mohammed Dahlan. BBC News/Middle East
• EI: Who is Mohammad Dahlan
• EI: Civil War in Palestine?

External links

• Muhammad Dahlan Official website