Mohammed Dahlan facts for kids

Mohammad Yusuf Dahlan (Arabic: محمد دحلان), also known as Abu Fadi, was born on September 29, 1961. He is a Palestinian leader who has played a big role in Palestinian politics. He was involved in talks for the Oslo Accords, which were agreements aimed at bringing peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Dahlan was once a powerful leader of the Fatah group in the Gaza Strip, where he led a security force. He later became a critic of Yasser Arafat, another important Palestinian leader. He was seen by some as a possible future leader. Dahlan has been involved in efforts to bring peace and stability to the region, including discussions related to the Abraham Accords. He currently lives in Abu Dhabi.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Mohammad Dahlan was born in the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip. His family were refugees from a Palestinian town called Hamama. He is the youngest of six children.

Dahlan became interested in politics when he was a teenager. In 1981, he helped start the youth movement of the Fatah group in Gaza. Because of his leadership in this movement, he was arrested by Israel several times between 1981 and 1986. While he was in prison, he learned to speak Hebrew very well.

Role in Peace Talks

Dahlan played a part in the discussions for the Oslo Peace Agreement. After these agreements were signed, he was chosen to lead a security force in Gaza. He built up a large force, which made him one of the most influential Palestinian leaders at the time. He often worked with American and Israeli intelligence officials. Because of his strong influence, Gaza was sometimes called "Dahlanistan."

Calls for Change

In 2001, Dahlan started to speak out, asking for changes within the Palestinian National Authority (PA). He felt that there wasn't a clear plan for the future.

In 2002, he left his position as head of security in Gaza. He hoped to become the Interior Minister, but this did not happen. He was later offered a job as a security adviser, but he turned it down. In April 2003, he was appointed as the Palestinian Minister of State for Security by Mahmoud Abbas, even though Arafat had some disagreements. By September, he was no longer in this role.

Dahlan often tried to campaign for reforms and against corruption. He presented himself as someone who spoke out against Arafat. Despite this, Dahlan and his supporters won many Fatah elections in Gaza.

In 2004, there was a week of unrest in Gaza after Arafat's nephew, Moussa Arafat, was appointed as head of the Gaza police. Some believed this was done to weaken Dahlan's position before Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, and it led to large protests.

Challenges in Gaza

On January 26, 2006, Dahlan was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as a representative for Khan Yunis. He took a strong stand against Hamas, calling their election win a "disaster."

In December 2006, there were clashes between supporters of Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West Bank. These events led to more tension between the two groups.

On January 7, 2007, Dahlan held a large rally for Fatah supporters in the Gaza Strip. He spoke strongly against Hamas. In response, Hamas accused Dahlan of trying to cause conflict.

Dahlan was a Fatah representative in talks that led to the Fatah–Hamas Mecca Agreement on February 8, 2007. In this agreement, both sides decided to stop fighting and form a government of national unity. In March 2007, Dahlan was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to lead the Palestinian National Security Council. He oversaw all security forces in the Palestinian territories.

Life After Gaza

In July 2007, Dahlan left his role as national security adviser. This happened after Hamas took control of Gaza. Many in Fatah felt that Dahlan and other senior leaders were not present during the fighting, which led to their forces being defeated quickly. During this time, Dahlan's house in Gaza was taken over and later destroyed by Hamas.

After his forces were removed from Gaza, Dahlan moved to the West Bank. Tensions grew between his supporters and opponents. Some Fatah leaders accused Dahlan's supporters of working with others against Fatah. Dahlan denied these accusations.

In October 2007, the George W. Bush administration reportedly encouraged Abbas to appoint Dahlan as his deputy. Some officials believed that the U.S. and some European countries wanted Dahlan to become the next head of the Palestinian Authority.

In August 2009, Dahlan was elected to the Central Committee of Fatah. However, there were some disagreements about the election results, with claims of unfairness.

Later Life and International Influence

In June 2011, Dahlan was removed from Fatah. In September, his house was searched by Palestinian police.

After leaving Fatah in 2011, Dahlan moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he worked as a security adviser. He became close with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who became a very important leader in Abu Dhabi.

Dahlan helped organize some large investments from the UAE in the Balkans, and he gained Serbian citizenship. He also holds Montenegrin citizenship since 2012.

In October 2018, Dahlan was accused of working with others to hire former special forces members to carry out actions in the Yemeni Civil War.

Foreign Policy magazine reported that Dahlan was important in developing the Abraham Accords. These were agreements signed in 2020 between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain to normalize their relationships. In 2020, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said that the U.S. saw Dahlan as a possible future replacement for Palestinian President Abbas.

Dahlan led one of the candidate lists, Al-Mustaqbal (meaning "The Future"), for the planned 2021 Palestinian general election. However, President Abbas postponed this election.

In March 2023, Dahlan stated that he believed the idea of a two-state solution (where Israelis and Palestinians each have their own state) was no longer possible. He suggested that Palestinians should now work towards a one-state solution where two peoples live together with equal rights.

Three weeks into the Gaza war in 2023, he suggested that after the conflict, a temporary government should be created for Gaza and the West Bank. After two years, he proposed that elections should be held for a parliamentary system of government, where all Palestinian groups, including Hamas, could participate. He also said that this Palestinian state should be recognized by other countries.

Personal Life

Mohammad Dahlan is married to Jaleela. They have four children: Fadi, Firaz, Hadil, and Asil. All six of them gained Serbian citizenship in 2013. Dahlan also has Montenegrin citizenship. He lives in Abu Dhabi and works closely with the ruling family there. He is also connected with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

See also

• Politics of the Palestinian National Authority