PLO

PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) It was founded in 1964, largely on Egyptian initiative, as a movement to unite various Palestine Arab groups opposed to Israeli presence in Palestine, most importantly al-Fatah (the Palestine National Liberation Movement), the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Its charter called for a democratic and secular Palestinian state and for the elimination of Israel. After the Six Day War, when the West Bank became occupied by Israel, the PLO became dominated by al-Fatah, which proceeded to organize guerrilla raids by commandos (fedayeen) from Jordan against Israel. Chaired by Arafat, the PLO's assertive claim to represent the Palestinian people (which formed the majority of the population of Jordan) became a fundamental challenge to the authority of King Hussein. Hussein expelled the PLO from Jordan after a series of bloody battles in 1970–1.

Thereafter the PLO was based in Lebanon. With Syrian backing it achieved a major diplomatic triumph in 1974, when it was recognized by all Arab states (including a reluctant Jordan) as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. The growing strength of the PLO prompted Israel to take action against Palestinian refugee camps in 1981 and to invade Lebanon in 1982, forcing the PLO to move its headquarters to Tunisia. Frustration about the continued failure to bring about a quick resolution to the demands for a Palestinian state led to several splits and challenges to the leadership of Arafat, who came to rely increasingly on diplomacy rather than violence. Hence, the PLO was outsmarted by more radical organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, which instigated the Intifadah.

The actions of its militant competitors, however, convinced Israel to accept the PLO as the most moderate of the popular Palestinian groups. It negotiated successfully for Palestinian autonomy through the Oslo Accord and the Gaza–Jericho Agreement. In the first elections for the Palestinian National Authority (which included the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) in 1996, the PLO won an overwhelming victory. Arafat was elected President with 88.1 per cent of the vote, and the PLO gained a large majority in the Palestinian Council. More important than the actual majority (Arafat faced but one opponent) was the high voter turnout, which indicated its support against admonishments from radical opponents for voters to stay at home. Subsequently, the movement which had been defined by its opposition found it hard to adjust to a positive, constructive role. It failed to build a civilian and legal infrastructure in the areas under its control, and it was accused by international donors of the misuse and squandering of financial aid to Palestine. As poverty within the Palestinian areas worsened, popular pressure on the PLO grew, which was compounded by the breakdown of the Wye Agreement. Although Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territories in 2002 helped to restore some of its popularity, the military intervention also destroyed much of the PLO's governing and security infrastructure. In response to international pressure, notably US determination in its War on Terror, Arafat was forced to relinquish some of his power to a Prime Minister, a post filled by Abu Mazen (April-Sept 2003) and Ahmed Qurei.