Their aims:
Their aims The PLO had 3 main aims : Destroy the state of Israel. Re-Establish Palestine as a home of the Palestinian Arabs . Make the new Palestine part of the wider, Arab community .
Key Figures of the PLO:
Key Figures of the PLO The PLO only really had one key figure, this was Yasser Arafat. Arafat was Born in August 1929 in Egypt. He fought against the Jews in Gaza in 1948. He founded Fatah in 1958 . By 1969 he was the undisputed leader of the PLO. Through 1970’s and 80’s gained worldwide recognition as the leader of the PLO. Took control of the Intifada against Israel. Died in 2004.
Strengths of the PLO.:
Strengths of the PLO. Yasser Arafat was a charismatic, clever leader. They had many secure bases around Africa and Asia . There was a large Palestinian population in Lebanon . They were able to raise money very quickly due to a series of rich Arabs willing to invest in their cause . They had a securely well managed Infrastructure in Palestine, they had: schools, courts, hospitals and Military training camps. They had lots of very effective Propaganda.
Actions of the PLO:
Actions of the PLO March 1969 to September 1970-they bombed Israeli settlements with Artillery Fire and Fatah commandos attacked Israeli civilian targets. September 1970-The PLO hijacked 3 airliners over Jordan, demanding the release of Palestinians from Israel, eventually the passengers were released but the planes were blown up. In 1976 they hijacked another and flew it to Entebbe airport in Uganda. 1972- Black September, an extremely violent group associated with the PLO carried out a high profile attack, they took all of the eleven athletes in the Israeli Olympic team hostage and killed them when the German police attempted a rescue. 1980’s- The PLO suffered many defeats at the hands of the Israeli's which caused them to go into hiding in North Africa. 1987- Events take their own course without much intervention from the PLO, The Intifada happens, it’s a large scale uprising against the Israeli forces in Palestine, the harsh response from Israel causes sympathy for the PLO & the Palestinians. 1988- Arafat concedes that Israel has a right to exist but so does Palestine.