Fatah

[ faht-ah, fuh-tah ]

noun

1. a Palestinian political party advocating Palestinian independence and self-rule.

Fatah

/ ˈfætə /

noun

1. Al Fatah
   a Palestinian terrorist organization, founded in 1956, with the aim of destroying the state of Israel: it has splintered into rival factions since 1988

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fatah¹

First recorded in 1965–70; vocalization of Arabic FTḤ, abbreviation of Ḥarakat al-Taḥrīr al-Waṭanī al-Filasṭīn “Palestinian National Liberation Movement,” from ḥarakat, form of ḥarakah “movement” + taḥrīr “liberation” + waṭanī “national” + Filasṭīn Palestine ( def ); coined by reversing the elements and shortening ḤTWF to form FTḤ as a pun on fatḥ “opening, victory”

Example Sentences

He says he was a member of the West Bank’s main political party, Fatah, and had spent six years in an Israeli jail for shooting at the army, and belonging to a "hostile organisation".

From BBC

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Fatah movement accused Israel of assassinating a senior member of its armed wing in Lebanon in an effort to ignite a regional conflict.

From BBC

It is the latest of several reconciliation deals Hamas and Fatah have agreed on in their long fractured relationship, none of which have yet led to the end of the schism.

From BBC

Israel’s bombardment of Gaza has deepened support for Hamas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority — controlled by Fatah — has administered cities and towns for decades.

From New York Times

Speaking to the AP in Istanbul, Al-Hayya said Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by the rival Fatah faction, to form a unified government for Gaza and the West Bank.

From Seattle Times