Mahmoud Abbas was elected as President of the Palestinian National Authority in 2005. He is a leading politician in the Fatah movement. He was also the first Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Abbas has spent much of his career negotiating with Israel to secure a Palestinian homeland. He is viewed by the West as a moderate who can help bring peace to the region.

In the 1950s, Abbas was involved in underground Palestinian politics. He helped recruit for the Palestine Liberation Organization. He also co-founded Fatah in 1957. Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, he remained a key figure in Palestinian politics. His was a lone voice that argued for the recognition of Israel. He had secret meetings with Israeli groups from the 1970s.

At the 1993 peace accords with Israel, Abbas signed on behalf of the PLO. He was seen by Israel and the USA as someone they could work with. He won the 2005 presidential election and immediately called for an end to violence against Israel. He has worked tirelessly to bring about Palestinian statehood. He also said "There is absolutely no substitution for dialogue."

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