The PLO's Lost Decade: From Kuwait to Beirut

While the Oslo Accords and the First Intifada dominate popular memory, the decade following the 1967 Six-Day War was a period of radical transformation for Palestinian politics. This episode explores the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1964, not as a monolithic entity, but as a fractured coalition shaped by Arab nationalism and external patronage. We trace the journey from the first Palestinian National Council meeting in Jerusalem to the PLO’s expulsion from Jordan after Black September in 1970, leading to its renaissance in Lebanon. Key figures like Yasser Arafat, Khalil al-Wazir, and George Habash emerge from the shadows, navigating the treacherous waters of Fedayeen raids, the Battle of Karameh, and the internal power struggles that defined Palestinian identity during the Cold War. Through specific events like the Dawson’s Field hijackings and the ideological clash between Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, we uncover how the PLO evolved from a tool of Arab states into an independent liberation movement. This narrative fills the gap between the Naksa and the diplomatic openings of the 1980s, revealing the gritty, often overlooked years where modern Palestinian political culture was forged.

#PLO #PalestineLiberationOrganization #YasserArafat #Fatah #BlackSeptember #JordanHistory #LebanonCivilWar #KhalilalWazir #GeorgeHabash #PFLP #Fedayeen #DawsonsField #KaramehBattle #ArabNationalism #PalestinianIdentity #ColdWarMiddleEast #FexingoHistory #History

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