(Japanese Version)
(Arabic Version)
Chapter 2 Global wave – The end of colonial era and the emerging two super powers
2-8(22) Guerilla combatant or refugee? Wandering Palestine
For the time being since its inception in 1964, PLO had been looking for the restoration of Palestinian people’s right of national self-determination and a return of discrete Palestinian refugees to their homeland by means of a moderate political movement. However, the politicians of the neighboring Arab countries gave them only lip service without specified support. Six Day War in 1967 broke the self-confidence of the Arab politicians perfectly. The dream of recapture of PLO's homeland went far away. In addition, more than a million of new Palestinian refugees have flowed into Jordan. The Palestinians were disappointed in their Arab brothers, and the PLO transformed into a radical guerrilla combatant.
Fatah, formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, became the leader of PLO. Fatah formed an anti-Israeli guerrilla organization and got good results as repelling the Israeli army in the border area between Israel and Jordan. In February 1969, Yasser Arafat of Fatah was appointed to the chairman of PLO. President Nasser of Egypt gave him a title of the leader of the Palestinians, which made the PLO a de facto Palestinian government in exile.
In PLO there was radical group like People Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) which was not satisfied with Fatah's moderate policy. PFLP with Marx-Leninism ideology attacked Israel from Jordan. It aimed to attract the world's attention to Palestine policy. Initially the Jordanian government joined to operation to attack Israel, but always they met a painful counterattack by Israel. King Hussein, who realized that there was no winning battle against Israel, asked the US to mediate and tried to change their policy realistically. PLO presumed Jordanian government as a betray. They planned to overthrew Hashemite monarchy and build a republican state in Jordan. PLO promoted the terrorist activities both inside and outside of Jordan.
Radical terrorism activities by PLO and its affiliated PFLP were rejected not only by Jordanian citizens but also Palestinians. When PFLP hijacked five civilian airliners at one time in September 1970, Jordanian King Hussein came out of patience and finally embarked on elimination of PLO. It was called "Black September" and resulted in civil war in Jordan. PLO who lost support of the people was defeated and had to move its headquarters to Beirut, Lebanon.
PLO did not quit guerrilla attack against Israel after relocating to Beirut. Palestinian refugees were overflowed by Israeli fierce counterattacks. Huge Palestinian refugee camps appeared in southern Lebanon. The impatient Palestinian extremists invited foreign militant organizations that were in tune with their movements. PLO developed terrorist activities against Jews abroad and on the other hand foreign terrorist attacked Jews inside Israel.
As a result, two major incidents occurred in 1972. At the Tel Aviv International airport, the Japanese Red Army opened fire of automatic rifles and killed 26 people in May 1972. Japanese terrorists indiscriminately attacked ordinary citizens and one terrorist committed suicide with grenades. It was the unbelievable incident in the Muslim world. Muslim terrorist had never committed suicide because Monotheism such as Islam, Christianity or Judaism did not allow suicide. Human life is left to the hand of God (or Allah), and it is not allowed to die on his own. However, the Japanese who came from the Orient thought that it was the high-faith ideal to die for his belief. Japanese suicide bomber might think in his mind about famous author Yukio Mishima who committed Hara-kiri suicide two years ago. It was a shocking incident in Muslim world. It was the forerunner of suicide bombings. Suicide bombings occurred frequently in decades later.
In three months, Palestinian extremist group called "Black September" killed nine Israeli athletes in Munich during the Olympic Games in August 1972. PLO was chased by Israel. In addition, civil war in Lebanon made the situation complicate and worse. PLO was kicked out from Beirut and moved to Tunisia in 1982.
It is not just an entity that has escaped. Palestinian
individual was the same. They escaped to Jordan. Jordan was poor country and
not a place to rest. Some Palestinians aimed for further trip in search for better
life. At that time the oil boom was about to begin in Persian Gulf countries. There
were two options for the Palestinians. One option was to become PLO’s guerrilla
combatant, and the other option was to migrate to the more safety country with
their family. Many of them rushed to oil producing countries as migrants.
Teacher's family of Shatila and doctor’s family of
Al-Yassin who had escaped together from Tulkarm on the West Bank of Jordan
River to Jordan at the Israeli Independence War, they again moved together to
Kuwait where aimed for nation building with abundant oil income focusing on
education and medical care. High salary attracted numerous Arab expatriates.
Palestinians became the people of Diaspora (discrete) like the Jewish people of two thousand years ago.
(To be continued ----)
By
Areha Kazuya
E-mail:
Arehakazuya1@gmail.com
Home Page: OCIN INITIATIVE
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