PLO in Lebanon
Encyclopedia
The PLO were based in Lebanon
for a significant period of time, using their set-up in the country to expand as an organization, gather support and maintain their armed struggle with Israel
. Arguably, the Lebanon period was the most significant time in the PLO’s existence, both for reasons of political gain and international recognition – though it also involved a great deal of violence, displacement of civilians and economic instability. The PLO were able to maintain a strong presence, particularly in Southern Lebanon for a number of years and at times were able to have a positive impact on the local population, but due to religious tensions and a confusion of structure were often the cause of dissatisfaction and fear amongst Lebanese citizens.
was anxious about the prospect of nationalist sentiment causing turbulence in Lebanon following the '67 conflict, which had ignited mass support from Arab communities of the Palestinian cause. Nevertheless, guerrilla networks were increasingly active throughout the late 1960s and were given even more freedom after the Cairo agreement in 1969, in which camp settlements in Lebanon were placed under the command of Palestinian forces, instead of the heavy-handed Deuxieme Bureau
.
The establishment of the PLO as being based wholly in Lebanon came after King Hussein of Jordan’s decision to expel the group from his country in 1970. The Black September
movement which formed as the result of the hijacking of planes, which were brought into Jordan. Much of 1970s Lebanon exists in history under the shadow of the lead-up to and subsequent bloody realization of the civil war, which the PLO became embroiled in after initial reluctance of any involvement. It was not in the interests of the PLO to get involved in a conflict which would drain resources and detract focus from the goal of planning insurgencies against Israel.
The end of the PLO’s time in Lebanon came abruptly and decisively after Israeli forces invaded Southern Lebanon and forced PLO forces out of the country. As a result of this, the organization had to move its base to Tunis
, Tunisia.
The situation in Lebanon was very complicated, particularly given that the PLO itself was sometimes divided and various factions played different roles at different times. In 1976, the arrival of a Syrian-organized Fedayeen
made matters even more complex, and there are huge numbers of reports of intimidation, torture and murder from Lebanese forces, Israeli forces, PLO or PLO-affiliated groups and non-specific Fedayeen soldiers. For example, the initial catalyst for PLO involvement in the internal Lebanese issue could be said to be the Phalange attack on a bus in April 1975. According to one journalistic endeavour from the Jerusalem Post, there was "little or no substantive proof for many of the atrocity stories making the rounds", which suggests that there was generally a deal of hearsay
and over-inflated reporting about PLO mistreatment of civilians. However, the academic Jillian Becker has suggested that Lebanon "was destroyed by, and because of, the PLO". Many point to the Damour
massacre as a key example of PLO barbarity, although again this was in theory a response to a Phalange massacre in Karantina days beforehand.
There are several reports from the PLO’s time in Lebanon of threats and against journalists, both foreign and domestic and also of bribes given in return for biased coverage. Senior journalists were known to have been bought off by receiving generously detailed files about an imminent strike against Israel in order that maximum coverage might be ensured.
Charlie Wilson, the US congressman responsible for raising funds in order to assist Afghan mujahadeen to fight the Soviets, commented that he felt the Israeli forces were welcomed as a liberation army and that the PLO’s presence was worth even the tumult of the Israeli invasion.
Olympic disaster. Attacks into Israel, including rocket attacks, became the catalyst for Israeli invasions into Lebanon, first in 1978 and again subsequently and decisively in 1982. Although PLO attacks were able to cause disruption, it is not possible to say that they achieved any lasting military gain and in fact by incurring the wrath of a fierce Israeli army the PLO were in the end driven back.
PLO positioning in Lebanon did however afford the organisation a degree of economic structure and they were able to gain some economic power in this way, by establishing trade links and businesses and by collecting taxes from displaced Palestinian settlers.
, but diplomatic processes were hindered by the conflict. The PLO itself as an organisation was split at times and trust between political groups was minimal.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
for a significant period of time, using their set-up in the country to expand as an organization, gather support and maintain their armed struggle with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Arguably, the Lebanon period was the most significant time in the PLO’s existence, both for reasons of political gain and international recognition – though it also involved a great deal of violence, displacement of civilians and economic instability. The PLO were able to maintain a strong presence, particularly in Southern Lebanon for a number of years and at times were able to have a positive impact on the local population, but due to religious tensions and a confusion of structure were often the cause of dissatisfaction and fear amongst Lebanese citizens.
History of the Period – Late 1960s – 1982
The origins of the PLO’s presence in Lebanon goes right back to the late 1960s, following the 1967 war. There were already large areas of Lebanon populated by Palestinian exile communities, or around 12% of the total population. Lebanese president Charles HelouCharles Helou
Charles Helou was President of Lebanon from 1964 to 1970.Born in Beirut, Helou was the scion of a powerful Maronite family from Baabda. He graduated with honours from St. Joseph's University in Beirut in 1929, and went on to complete a Law degree in 1934...
was anxious about the prospect of nationalist sentiment causing turbulence in Lebanon following the '67 conflict, which had ignited mass support from Arab communities of the Palestinian cause. Nevertheless, guerrilla networks were increasingly active throughout the late 1960s and were given even more freedom after the Cairo agreement in 1969, in which camp settlements in Lebanon were placed under the command of Palestinian forces, instead of the heavy-handed Deuxieme Bureau
Deuxième Bureau
The Deuxième Bureau de l'État-major général was France's external military intelligence agency from 1871 to 1940. It was dissolved together with the Third Republic upon the armistice with Germany...
.
The establishment of the PLO as being based wholly in Lebanon came after King Hussein of Jordan’s decision to expel the group from his country in 1970. The Black September
Black September (group)
The Black September Organization was a Palestinian paramilitary group, founded in 1970. It was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event...
movement which formed as the result of the hijacking of planes, which were brought into Jordan. Much of 1970s Lebanon exists in history under the shadow of the lead-up to and subsequent bloody realization of the civil war, which the PLO became embroiled in after initial reluctance of any involvement. It was not in the interests of the PLO to get involved in a conflict which would drain resources and detract focus from the goal of planning insurgencies against Israel.
The end of the PLO’s time in Lebanon came abruptly and decisively after Israeli forces invaded Southern Lebanon and forced PLO forces out of the country. As a result of this, the organization had to move its base to Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Tunisia.
The Camps – Autonomy and a State Within a State
The PLO were able to achieve a mini state within Southern Lebanon made up of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who had made settlements in the area. Over time the PLO were able to gain almost complete control over areas of Lebanon using their own police force, military and economic infrastructure although organizationally this was said to be sporadic in terms of efficiency.Conflicting reports of PLO behaviour
There are varying reports of the PLO's presence in Lebanon, in terms of whether they engaged constructively with Palestinian settlers and Lebanese civilians or whether they were in fact a disorganized and often dangerous presence. There were various key incidents that have contributed to a conflicting view of the era and historians remain in conflict about the true nature of the PLO’s impact on the country.The situation in Lebanon was very complicated, particularly given that the PLO itself was sometimes divided and various factions played different roles at different times. In 1976, the arrival of a Syrian-organized Fedayeen
Fedayeen
Fedayeen is a term used to describe several distinct militant groups and individuals in West Asia at different times in history. It is sometimes used colloquially to refer to suicide squads, especially those who are not bombers.-Overview:...
made matters even more complex, and there are huge numbers of reports of intimidation, torture and murder from Lebanese forces, Israeli forces, PLO or PLO-affiliated groups and non-specific Fedayeen soldiers. For example, the initial catalyst for PLO involvement in the internal Lebanese issue could be said to be the Phalange attack on a bus in April 1975. According to one journalistic endeavour from the Jerusalem Post, there was "little or no substantive proof for many of the atrocity stories making the rounds", which suggests that there was generally a deal of hearsay
Hearsay
Hearsay is information gathered by one person from another person concerning some event, condition, or thing of which the first person had no direct experience. When submitted as evidence, such statements are called hearsay evidence. As a legal term, "hearsay" can also have the narrower meaning of...
and over-inflated reporting about PLO mistreatment of civilians. However, the academic Jillian Becker has suggested that Lebanon "was destroyed by, and because of, the PLO". Many point to the Damour
Damour
Damour is a Lebanese Christian town that is 24 kilometres south of Beirut. The name of the town is derived from the name of the Phoenician god Damoros who symbolized immortality ....
massacre as a key example of PLO barbarity, although again this was in theory a response to a Phalange massacre in Karantina days beforehand.
Media Use
In Lebanon, the PLO were able to make use of media outlets and resources in order to expand their network of support. One text has suggested that the PLO had a full takeover of the Lebanese media. Publications such as Fatah were published daily from 1970 onward and there were numerous other publications that were published on behalf of the PLO. There was indeed a Department of Culture in the Propaganda and International Centre of the PLO, whose films included The Road to Palestine and The Youth Camp.There are several reports from the PLO’s time in Lebanon of threats and against journalists, both foreign and domestic and also of bribes given in return for biased coverage. Senior journalists were known to have been bought off by receiving generously detailed files about an imminent strike against Israel in order that maximum coverage might be ensured.
International Involvement
Syria’s involvement can be seen as a complicating factor, but also tied the PLO to a position where more compromise was necessary, because of Syria’s involvement as being a supportive of the Christians. This position changed however and stopped their support of the Christians discontinued. Europe was responsive to the plight of the Palestinians over the course of the PLO’s time in Lebanon and France and Greece in particular made efforts in support of the Palestinian cause. The US was less positive in response to the PLO and at one time favoured a policy of isolating the Palestinians, which clearly did not work.Charlie Wilson, the US congressman responsible for raising funds in order to assist Afghan mujahadeen to fight the Soviets, commented that he felt the Israeli forces were welcomed as a liberation army and that the PLO’s presence was worth even the tumult of the Israeli invasion.
Tactical Position
Whilst in Lebanon, the PLO were able to mount several attacks on Israel from vantage points along the border. The time in Lebanon also afforded the PLO space and resources with which to plan activities in support of the wider cause, including the infamous MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Olympic disaster. Attacks into Israel, including rocket attacks, became the catalyst for Israeli invasions into Lebanon, first in 1978 and again subsequently and decisively in 1982. Although PLO attacks were able to cause disruption, it is not possible to say that they achieved any lasting military gain and in fact by incurring the wrath of a fierce Israeli army the PLO were in the end driven back.
PLO positioning in Lebanon did however afford the organisation a degree of economic structure and they were able to gain some economic power in this way, by establishing trade links and businesses and by collecting taxes from displaced Palestinian settlers.
Aftermath
Following on from the PLO’s forced exile from Lebanon, their power base was diminished and the PLO as an organisation was forced to be further away from the people it sought to fight for. The Lebanese period can in fact be seen as a time of no real development in the PLO’s desire to achieve statehood, in the main because of its being marred by additional conflicts. Throughout this period in time the PLO were beginning to accept the concept of a two-state solution and move towards the kind of agreements that would mark the Oslo accordsOslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
, but diplomatic processes were hindered by the conflict. The PLO itself as an organisation was split at times and trust between political groups was minimal.