I roto i te 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Arafat mahue te University, a, me te tahi atu Arabs, rapu ki te tomo ki Palestine ki te uru ki te ope Arab whawhai ki te ope Arab me te hanganga o te kāwanatanga o Iharaira. Heoi, hei utu o te whakauru i roto i te rarangi o te Palestinian, Arafat whawhai i te taha o te Muslim Brotherhood, ahakoa e kore ia i uru ki te whakahaere. I whai wāhi ia i roto i te 1956 Gaza rohe whawhai matua (i te mea i taua i roto i te pakanga Arabs whakawātea o te Arabs me te tahi atu Zionists rongonui). I te 1946 ko ia he nationalist Arab, ka timata ki te hoko patu ki te kia mawhiti ki te mua Ingarangi Mana o Palestine, mo te whakamahi i te irregulars i roto i te Arab Komiti Higher me te Army o te War Tapu militia. I muri i te hokinga mai i taua tau ki Cairo, ka hoki ia ki te mahi i rite ki te peresideni o te Uniana o Arabs i roto i te whawhai i te pakanga i mua i te Karauna o Arabs. I muri i taua tau, i muri i te
Ko te tau 1949