Early life and career Born in
Jaffa in 1944, Abed Rabbo became a
Palestinian refugee as a result of the
1948 Arab–Israeli War. Between 1977 and 1994, Abed Rabbo served as the head of the PLO's Information Department. During the 1980s, Abed Rabbo became closely allied with PLO chairman
Yasser Arafat and supported his attempts to negotiate a
two-state solution. Arafat appointed him the PLO's representative in the 1988–1990 talks with the United States in
Tunis. By then, relations between Abed Rabbo and Hawatmeh deteriorated. The two disagreed about Abed Rabbo's participation in Arafat's diplomacy regarding the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the extent of the DFLP's political activities in Jordan, where Hawatmeh was based. Violent clashes between their supporters and Abed formed a separate faction of the DFLP in 1991, although he continued to use the DFLP's name. leaving the
Marxist–Leninist platform of the DFLP. Abed Rabbo became FIDA's representative on the
PLO Executive Committee. Rabbo cautiously supported the 1993
Oslo Accords) between the PLO and Israel. The latter, which he negotiated with
Yossi Beilin, was condemned by both the Israelis and Palestinians, the latter of whom particularly condemned Abed Rabbo's alleged relinquishment of the
Palestinian refugees'
right of return. According to
Nathan Thrall of the
International Crisis Group, Abbas was less worried about a coup by Abed Rabbo, but was threatened by Abed Rabbo's perceived alliance with Abbas's rivals Dahlan and former prime minister
Salam Fayyad. Abed Rabbo denied links with Dahlan, dismissing rumors of a conspiracy as "hallucinations". He also insists that he was not dismissed from the Executive Committee body. Abed Rabbo was replaced by senior Abbas aide
Saeb Erakat. ==References==