Beirut 1971: The PLO's State Within a State

After Black September in Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organization under Yasser Arafat relocated its headquarters to Beirut. This episode explores how the PLO built a parallel administration in Lebanon—running schools, hospitals, and a military force that challenged the Lebanese state's sovereignty. Lucas and Luna dive into the tensions this created with Maronite and Shia communities, the role of the Cairo Agreement, and how Palestinian factions turned refugee camps like Sabra and Shatila into armed bastions. They also examine the Lebanese government's weakness under President Suleiman Franjieh and Prime Minister Saeb Salam, and how the PLO's presence shifted Lebanon's delicate sectarian balance. Key figures include Arafat, Abu Iyad, Kamal Jumblatt, and Pierre Gemayel. This episode sets the stage for the 1975 civil war by tracing the roots of the 'state within a state' that Lebanon could neither control nor expel.

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