Palestinian Refugees

• PLO in 1960s

  Actions: PLO Formed, Umbrella organisation: Disparate group, many factions (e.g. Fatah and Black September), Six Day war, recruitment and terrorist campaigns against Israel

  Impact/Successes/Failures: Clever charismatic leader, more unity than previously seen, recruitment from Six Day War, many Palestinians saw Israeli violence and wanted to join PLO
• PLO in 1970s

  Actions: Commando raids into Israel, fired rockets at towns, hijacked aircraft and high profile assassinations; hijacked plane with over 100 Jewish passengers and flew it to Entebbe airport in Uganda, Black September and Munich Olympics

  Impact/Successes/Failures: Gained global recognition, secure bases in Lebanon (PLO had 6500 fighters there), but was expelled from Jordan (fell out with King Hussein 1971), Israel bombed camps and killed hundreds of innocent Palestinians (Israeli reprisals had far less publicity), Propaganda culture, network for recruitment
• PLO in 1980s

  Actions: Several defeats by Israeli forces, 1987: Young Palestinians in Gaza strip and West Bank began uprising against Israel, called Intifada, Israelis bombed headquarters in Tunisia (killing 60), which created Hamas; much more hard-line and militant

  Impact/Successes/Failures: Arafat linked Intifada to PLO and increased power and status, gaining global recognition with 11,000+ PLO fighters, harsh Israeli response (curfews, tear gas, bullets, etc.) generated more support for PLO than any other actions
• PLO in 1990s

  Actions: Israel and PLO agreed peace treaty (OSLO accords) to set up a Palestinian authority to run affairs in Gaza strip and West Bank, PLO expressed support for Saddam Hussein (as Hussein didn’t like Israel)

  Impact/Successes/Failures: Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Arafat in 1994
• PLO in 2000s

  Actions: Second Intifada: PLO committed many attacks against Israelis, Israelis laid siege to PLO headquarters demanding action against Palestinian militants, Arafat died 2004 (75), UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) recognised PLO as ‘representative of the Palestinian people’ and an observer status was granted (participate in debates not vote), Now a ‘non member observer state’

  Impact/Successes/Failures: Found guilty of attacks, forced to pay damages of $655.5mil, supposedly richest of all terrorist groups ($50 billion in secret accounts), Arafat’s death didn't end conflict