Mahmoud Abbas, also known by the kunya Abu Mazen, is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He has been the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 2004, PNA president since January 2005, and State of Palestine president since May 2005. Abbas is also a member of the Fatah party and was elected chairman in 2009.
Abbas in 2023
Abbas with Ariel Sharon and George W. Bush in Aqaba, Jordan, 4 June 2003
Abbas with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, 18 January 2011
Abbas with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., 3 May 2017
President of the State of Palestine
The president of the State of Palestine is the head of state of Palestine. Yasser Arafat became the first titular president of the State of Palestine in 1989, one year after the Palestinian Declaration of Independence. The title was originally titular, in parallel with the de facto title president of the Palestinian National Authority. Both functions were held by Arafat from 1994 and continued until his death in November 2004, and were continued by his successor Mahmoud Abbas. In January 2005, the Palestinian Central Council (PCC) asked Abbas to perform the duties of the president of the State of Palestine. In November 2008, the PCC approved the continuation of Abbas's function as president of the State of Palestine. Since 2013, the title president of the State of Palestine became the sole title of the Palestinian president.
President of the State of Palestine
Image: Leader of the PLO, Yasser Arafat, 1996 Dan Hadani Archive
Image: Mahmoud Abbas 2021 (cropped)
Image: Mahmoud Abbas 2021 (cropped)