Mahmoud al-Aloul is a senior Fatah official who in 2018 was widely discussed as the likely successor to Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian Authority president. Through 2020 the opening said he served as commander of a Fatah militant brigade that kidnapped six Israeli soldiers in 1983, ransomed for incarcerated Palestinians. Today the opening calls it merely "a Fatah brigade that captured eight Israeli soldiers in 1983," and militant appears nowhere in the article. A reader today learns Aloul commanded a Fatah brigade, and not that Wikipedia once called that brigade militant or called the seizure of the soldiers a kidnapping.
Read line by line and written up by hand.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-01. “militant” appeared 1 times in this article's opening at its peak. Today it appears nowhere in the article, references included.
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The opening as it read in 2020
Mahmoud al-Aloul ( ) (b. 1950 ) was the governor of the Palestinian Authority 's Nablus governorate in the Central Highlands of the West Bank .1 In early 2018, he was widely discussed as the likely successor to Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority. After the Six-Day War , Aloul was arrested by Israel and sent to live in Jordan, where he joined Fatah . He rose within Fatah, and, in the 1970s, moved to Lebanon. There he served under Khalil al-Wazir , as commander of a Fatah militant brigade that kidnapped six Israeli soldiers in 1983; ransoming them for incarcerated Palestinians in an Israeli–Fatah prisoner exchange .2 According to Aloul, the Palestinians still maintain their belief in armed struggle against the State of Israel . Interview with Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Governor of Nablus Palestinians have not abandoned armed struggle , Jerusalem Post , 10/08/20123
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 963219775.
The opening as it stood in 2010
Mahmoud al-Aloul ( ) is the governor of the Palestinian Authority 's Nablus governorate [1] in the Central Highlands of the West Bank . He was elected to the Fatah Central Committee in August 2009. v t e
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 307636647.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Mahmoud al-Aloul ( ) was the governor of the Palestinian Authority 's Nablus governorate in the Central Highlands of the West Bank .According to Aloul, the Palestinians still maintain their belief in armed struggle against the State of Israel .Interview with Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Governor of Nablus Palestinians have not abandoned armed struggle, Jerusalem Post
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 591562413.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Mahmoud al-Aloul ( ) (b. 1950 ) was the governor of the Palestinian Authority 's Nablus governorate in the Central Highlands of the West Bank . al-Aloul was elected to the Central Committee of Fatah in August 2009, and Vice Chairman in 2016. In early 2018, he was widely discussed as the likely successor to Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian Authority. After the Six-Day War , al-Aloul was arrested by Israel and sent to live in Jordan, where he joined Fatah . He rose within Fatah, and, in the 1970s, moved to Lebanon. There he served under Khalil al-Wazir , as commander of a Fatah brigade that captured eight Israeli soldiers in 1983.The Israeli prisoners were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli hands . According to Aloul, the Palestinians still maintain their belief in armed struggle against the State of Israel .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1165029209.
The opening as it stood in 2025
Palestinian politician (born 1950) Mahmoud al-Aloul ( Arabic : محمود العالول ) (born 11 December 1950 ) is a Palestinian politician who formerly served as the governor of the Palestinian Authority 's Nablus governorate in the Central Highlands of the West Bank from 1995 to 2005.Al-Aloul was elected to the Central Committee of Fatah in August 2009 during the 6th General Conference, and later became Vice Chairman following the 7th General Conference held in 2016. In early 2018, he was widely discussed as the likely successor to Mahmoud Abbas as President of the Palestinian National Authority . After the Six-Day War , al-Aloul was arrested by Israel and sent to live in Jordan, where he joined Fatah . He rose within Fatah, and, in the 1970s, moved to Lebanon. There he served under Khalil al-Wazir , as commander of a Fatah brigade that captured eight Israeli soldiers in 1983. The Israeli prisoners were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli hands . According to Aloul, the Palestinians still maintain their belief in armed struggle against the State of Israel . The Times of Israel .
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Today
“militant” appeared 1 times in this article's opening at its peak. Today it appears nowhere in the article, references included. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
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2025
militant
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Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined between 2010 and 2025.
Then
governor of the palestinian authority 's nablus governorate in the central highlands of the west bank
Now
palestinian politician who formerly served as the governor of the palestinian authority 's nablus governorate i
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.