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Palestinian Terrorism




Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinian s or Palestinian militant groups. Palestinian groups that support and carry out such acts include Hamas , Palestinian Islamic Jihad , Fatah 's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades , the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine , the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine - General Command , the Democratic Front For The Liberation Of Palestine , and the Abu Nidal Organization. When directed against civilians, such violence is frequently labeled '''Palestinian terrorism.''' {Link without Title}

These groups, with the exception of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, are listed as Terrorist organizations by the United States and the European Union . Until 1993, the PLO was also listed as a terrorist group by the United States. Like much political Violence , the perpetrators say that their attacks are justified, while the victims say otherwise. Regardless of the Moral , Political , or Tactical justifications, these attacks are Defined As Terrorism when they are indiscriminate or directed at Non-combatant s, according to all academic definitions of "terrorism", and definitions used by the United Nations . {Link without Title}


1920–1987


During the British Mandate In Palestine , Arab political violence directed against the British and against Zionist settlement included the Jerusalem Pogrom Of April, 1920 , the Riots In Palestine Of May, 1921 , the 1929 Hebron massacre, and the Great Uprising of 1936–1939. Prominent leaders of the Palestinian groups were Sheikh Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam , who was shot and killed by English soldiers, and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin Al-Husseini , who was deported.

According to David Meir-Levi, "From 1949 to 1956, Egypt waged a terror war against Israel, launching c. 9,000 attacks from terrorist cells set up in the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip." The Israeli government cites dozens of these as "Major Arab Terrorist Attacks against Israelis prior to the 1967 was founded in order to "liberate," as they saw it, what they called the "usurped part" of Palestine, which had become the state of Israel. [http://www.palestine-un.org/plo/doc_three.html

After Black September in 1970, the PLO and its offshoots waged an international campaign against Israelis. Notable events were the Munich Massacre (1972) and the hijacking of several civilian airliners. During the 1970s and the early 1980s, Israel suffered attacks from PLO bases in Lebanon, such as the Maalot Massacre in 1974. Following the 1982 Israeli Invasion Of Lebanon , called "Operation Peace for Galilee" by the IDF, and the exile of the PLO to Tunis , Israel had a relatively quiet decade.


CURRENT POLITICAL VIOLENCE

According to B'Tselem , as of July 10 , 2005 , 821 Israeli civilians have been killed in acts of political violence carried out by Palestinians since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, 553 of whom were killed within the 1949 Armistice Lines , mainly by Suicide Bomber s. Targets of attacks included buses, restaurants, discotheques, shopping malls, a university, and civilian homes in Israeli Settlement s within the West Bank and Gaza Strip . {Link without Title} , {Link without Title} .

On-going polls by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, a Palestinian organization, have consistently shown some support by the Palestinian public for acts of violence against Israelis, as part of what they see as the efforts of a resistance movement. Current polls, however, show that the majority of those polled do not support "military operations" against Israeli targets and see these attacks as "harmful to the Palestinian national interest". Those that support attacks believe it is the "proper response under the current political conditions". {Link without Title}

Some allege that the Palestinian Authority (PA) does not do enough to prevent attacks, or to reduce Palestinian public support for acts of violence. Some accuse the PA of sponsoring groups that carry out acts of violence, such as Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and of using the official PA television, radio, press, and education system to facilitate attacks upon Israel. Palestinians assert that it is not realistic to expect the kind of control Israel demands from the PA to curtail these groups, as the PA does not have actual control of most cities or adequate law-enforcement resources, and has suffered infrastructural damage to much of its security apparatus during confrontations with the Israel Defense Force (IDF).

, the weapon of a Suicide Bomber , captured by Israeli police.]]
There have been instances where Palestinians have exploited Children for attacks, as bomb transporters and Suicide Bomber s. On March 16 , 2005 , an Israeli border guard found a bomb in the school bag of 12-year-old Abdullah Quran at a military checkpoint near Nablus . His life was saved only because a cell phone rigged to detonate the 13-pound bomb failed to set off the explosive at the checkpoint as it had been designed to do.

Eight days later, on March 24, 16-year-old , Thursday April 1, 2004


LIST OF PALESTINIAN GROUPS



  • Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (PFLP) (founded 1967)

  • Left-wing Palestinian separatists

  • Joined the PLO in 1968 and became the second-largest PLO faction, after Arafat's al-Fatah, but withdrew in 1974, accusing the group of moving away from the goal of destroying Israel outright

  • Democratic Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (DFLP) (founded 1969)

  • Marxist - Leninist group that believes Palestinian national goals can be achieved only through revolution of the masses. Split into two factions in 1991; Nayif Hawatmah leads the majority and more hard-line faction, which continue to dominate the group. Joined with other rejectionist groups to form the Alliance Of Palestinian Forces (APF) to oppose the Declaration Of Principals signed in 1993. Broke from the APF — along with the PFLP — over ideological differences. Has made limited moves towards merging with the PFLP since the mid-1990s.

  • Abu Nidal organization (ANO), also known as Fatah - The Revolutionary Council (FRC), (founded 1974)

  • Split from PLO; part of the so-called rejectionist front, the ANO is a secular, nationalist group. Was led by Abu Nidal , widely regarded as the most ruthless of the Palestinian leaders, until his death in August 2002.

  • Fatah (founded early 1960s)

  • Palestinian nationalist political party

  • Reverse acronym for "Harekat at-Tahrir al-Wataniyyeh al-Falastiniyyeh" ("Palestinian National Liberation Movement" in Arabic)

  • Also known as the Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine

  • Founded by Yasser Arafat in 1959. Took control of the PLO in 1968, with Arafat as chairman

  • Groups associated with Fatah

  • Tanzim (founded 1995)

  • Means "organization" in Arabic

  • Loosely organized Fatah militia

  • Force 17 (founded early 1970s)

  • Elite unit of the PLO once under Yasser Arafat's direct guidance.

  • Acts as a versatile unit for combat and Intelligence -gathering.

  • Hawari (1980s-1991)

  • Also known as the Fatah Special Operations Group, Martyrs of Tal Al Za'atar, and Amn Araissi.

  • Recently inactive (As of 2004)

  • Ahmed Abu Reish Brigade

  • Extremist off-shoot of Fatah.

  • Was involved in July 17 , 2004 kidnappings in the Gaza Strip .

  • Possibly linked to the Popular Resistance Committees

  • The Popular Resistance Committees

  • Based in the Gaza Strip

  • Al Aqsa Marytrs Brigade

  • Responsible for many Suicide Bombing s and shootings of Israeli civilians

  • Responsible for executing suspected conspirators and leaders of opposition against Arafat

  • Funded by Fatah and the Palestinian Authority

  • Offshoot of this group, Fatah Hawks , has carried out guerrilla attacks against Israeli military personnel in the Gaza Strip.

  • Splinter groups of the PLO



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