The Intifada
In December 1987, the Palestinian
population in the West Bank and
Gaza started a mass uprising against
the Israeli occupation. This uprising,
or intifada (which means "shaking
off" in Arabic), was not started or
orchestrated by the PLO leadership
in Tunis. Rather, it was a popular
mobilization that drew on the
organizations and institutions that had
developed under occupation. The
intifada involved hundreds of
thousands of people, many with no
previous resistance experience,
including children, teenagers and
women. For the first few years, it
involved many forms of civil
disobedience, including massive
demonstrations, general strikes,
refusal to pay taxes, boycotts of
Israeli products, political graffiti and
the establishment of underground
schools (since regular schools were
closed by the military as reprisals for
the uprising). It also included stone
throwing, Molotov cocktails and the
erection of barricades to impede the
movement of Israeli military forces.
Intifada activism was organized
through popular committees under the umbrella of
the United National Leadership of the
Uprising. The UNLU was a coalition of the four PLO
parties active in the occupied
territories: Fatah, the PFLP, the DFLP and the PPP.
This broad-based resistance drew
unprecedented international attention to the
situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza, and challenged the occupation as never
before.
Under the leadership of Minister of Defense Yitzhak
Rabin, Israel tried to smash the intifada
with "force, power and blows." Army commanders
instructed troops to break the bones of
demonstrators. From 1987 to 1991 Israeli forces
killed over 1,000 Palestinians, including
over 200 under the age of sixteen. By 1990, most of
the UNLU leaders had been arrested
and the intifada lost its cohesive force, although
it continued for several more years. Political
divisions and violence within the Palestinian
community escalated, especially the growing
rivalry between the various PLO factions and
Islamist organizations (HAMAS and Islamic
Jihad). Palestinian militants killed over 250
Palestinians suspected of collaborating with the
occupation authorities and about 100 Israelis
during this period.
Although the intifada did not bring an end to
the occupation, it made clear that the status
quo was untenable. The intifada shifted the
center of gravity of Palestinian political
initiative from the PLO leadership in Tunis to
the occupied territories. Palestinian activists in
the occupied territories demanded that the
PLO adopt a clear political program to guide
the struggle for independence. In response, the
Palestine National Council (a Palestinian
government-in-exile), convened in Algeria in
November 1988, recognized the state of
Israel, proclaimed an independent Palestinian
state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
and renounced terrorism. The Israeli
government did not respond to these gestures,
claiming that nothing had changed and that the PLO
was a terrorist organization with which it
would never negotiate. The US did acknowledge that
the PLO's policies had changed, but
did little to encourage Israel to abandon its
intransigent stand.
____________________________________________________________
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In December 1987, the Palestinian
population in the West Bank and
Gaza started a mass uprising against
the Israeli occupation. This uprising,
or intifada (which means "shaking
off" in Arabic), was not started or
orchestrated by the PLO leadership
in Tunis. Rather, it was a popular
mobilization that drew on the
organizations and institutions that had
developed under occupation. The
intifada involved hundreds of
thousands of people, many with no
previous resistance experience,
including children, teenagers and
women. For the first few years, it
involved many forms of civil
disobedience, including massive
demonstrations, general strikes,
refusal to pay taxes, boycotts of
Israeli products, political graffiti and
the establishment of underground
schools (since regular schools were
closed by the military as reprisals for
the uprising). It also included stone
throwing, Molotov cocktails and the
erection of barricades to impede the
movement of Israeli military forces.
Intifada activism was organized
through popular committees under the umbrella of
the United National Leadership of the
Uprising. The UNLU was a coalition of the four PLO
parties active in the occupied
territories: Fatah, the PFLP, the DFLP and the PPP.
This broad-based resistance drew
unprecedented international attention to the
situation facing Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza, and challenged the occupation as never
before.
Under the leadership of Minister of Defense Yitzhak
Rabin, Israel tried to smash the intifada
with "force, power and blows." Army commanders
instructed troops to break the bones of
demonstrators. From 1987 to 1991 Israeli forces
killed over 1,000 Palestinians, including
over 200 under the age of sixteen. By 1990, most of
the UNLU leaders had been arrested
and the intifada lost its cohesive force, although
it continued for several more years. Political
divisions and violence within the Palestinian
community escalated, especially the growing
rivalry between the various PLO factions and
Islamist organizations (HAMAS and Islamic
Jihad). Palestinian militants killed over 250
Palestinians suspected of collaborating with the
occupation authorities and about 100 Israelis
during this period.
Although the intifada did not bring an end to
the occupation, it made clear that the status
quo was untenable. The intifada shifted the
center of gravity of Palestinian political
initiative from the PLO leadership in Tunis to
the occupied territories. Palestinian activists in
the occupied territories demanded that the
PLO adopt a clear political program to guide
the struggle for independence. In response, the
Palestine National Council (a Palestinian
government-in-exile), convened in Algeria in
November 1988, recognized the state of
Israel, proclaimed an independent Palestinian
state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
and renounced terrorism. The Israeli
government did not respond to these gestures,
claiming that nothing had changed and that the PLO
was a terrorist organization with which it
would never negotiate. The US did acknowledge that
the PLO's policies had changed, but
did little to encourage Israel to abandon its
intransigent stand.
____________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send a newsletter, share photos & files, conduct polls, organize chat events. Visit http://in/ groups.yahoo.com