Democratic Palestine : 28 (ص 11)
غرض
- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 28 (ص 11)
- المحتوى
-
stones at the Khaderah railway station,
injuring an Israeli soldier.
ORGANIZATION
In the first weeks of the uprising,
there was much talk about it being
spontaneous. Antagonistic forces
promoted such talk trying to create the
impression of a separation between the
masses inside and the PLO. In fact, this
whole idea is built on a false premise.
The masses in occupied Palestine have
been among the first to rally around the
PLO, and protect its reputation and
unity. They are the PLO just as much
as is the leadership. If the masses in
occupied Palestine did rise up based on
their national instincts and using their
own resources initially, this is not at all
in contradiction to the PLO which has
served as their sole, legitimate
representative and the rallying point of
their struggle for years.
In any case, the prolonged continua-
tion of the uprising has made all such
talk irrelevant. Within a few weeks, it
became clear who was leading the
uprising. Call no. I was issued in the
form of leaflets spread throughout the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. As of
March 8th, when the uprising entered
its fourth month, nine such calls had
been issued. (See call no.9 in this issue.)
The calls outline the detailed program
of action for a set period and give
guidelines for organizing the uprising
nationally and locally (the formation of
committees, etc.).
The calls are signed by the United
National Leadership of the Uprising,
the clandestine leadership in the field,
composed of trusted Palestinian
militants from the organizations who
are active in the occupied territories.
This leadership has evolved in direct
confrontation with the enemy, and en-
joys the confidence of the masses who
abide by its calls. Above all, this
leadership evolved from the existing
underground framework of the PLO in
occupied Palestine. In the West Bank,
the component forces are Fatah, PFLP
and DFLP. The Palestinian Com-
munist Party is involved in unified
coordination of the uprising at the local
level. In the Gaza Strip, the Islamic
Jihad is included in the United National
Leadership, alongside Fatah, PFLP
and DFLP. It is noteworthy that the
Islamic Jihad has been part of the PLO
since the last PNC session. Unlike some
other Islamic tendencies, such as the
Muslim Brotherhood which has at
times attacked the progressive na-
tionalist forces, Islamic Jihad gives top
priority to fighting the Israeli occupa-
tion.
In addition to the national unity
achieved in the uprising’s leadership,
unity prevails at the base where scores
of mass organizations join efforts in
adherence to the United National
Leadership’s guidelines. This includes
trade and professional unions,
women’s and students’ organizations,
social service and cultural committees,
Since the writing of this article, the
Palestinian Communist Party has
joined in the United National Leader-
ship.
etc., whether these are affiliated to a
particular political organization, to the
PLO as such, or were independently
established.
The fact that the United National
Leadership has evolved in direct con-
frontation with the occupier has lent it
a high degree of political clarity and
militant commitment which can
guarantee the uprising’s continuity.
This gives the potential for the uprising
to have a decisive impact on the PLO
itself, in terms of consolidating its
political line and internal democracy.
The United National Leadership sets a
precedent in terms of the fact that the
Palestinian organizations enjoy in-
fluence in direct proportion to their ac-
tive input in the uprising and their
overall practice. The democratic forces
in the PLO have long worked for such
democratic reform, and its viability is
now being proved in a pivotal struggle.
In their demonstrations, the masses
are daily exhibiting their sentiments
about national unity and indicating
who the active forces are. It is com-
monplace in West Bank demonstrations
to see the pictures of Yasir Arafat and
George Habash raised side-by-side. A
frequent chant in the streets and alleys
of the Gaza Strip is «Unity, National
Unity... Fatah, Jihad and Popular
(Front)» - a slogan which in Arabic
rhymes.
On the local level, there are several
types of organizations and committees
affiliated to the United National
Leadership. Those we see daily on
television throwing stones constitute
the strike force of the uprising. In every
village, camp and town quarter,
Palestinians have organized a strike
force responsible for confronting the
Zionist soldiers and settlers on a daily
basis. Round the clock, people prepare
roadblocks, guard their areas and col-
lect stones.
There are also the unknown soldiers
organized in committees we don’t see
on the TV screen. There are supply
committees that distribute and ration
food. There are medical committees,
affiliated to the existing Palestinian
medical institutions, that provide first
aid, take the injured to hospital and
care for those who prefer not to be
hospitalized. (There are numerous in-
stances of Israeli soldiers breaking into p>
11 - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 28
- تاريخ
- مارس ١٩٨٨
- المنشئ
- الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
Contribute
Not viewed