The Plo, Yesterday and Today

The PLO, Yesterday and Today

The war between Palestine and Israel has created many lasting organizations. It has inspired people whose names will be remembered for many years to come. It has also, according to an estimate by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, killed 13,000 Israelis and Palestinians in conflict with each other between 1948 and 1997. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has been a major part of the conflict since 1964.

The PLO was established in 1964. There was a movement within Palestine to create an independent state for Palestinians. There was a lack of trust in other Arab nations to provide protection, so it was felt that they needed to be able to fight for their homeland that was now Israel’s. Ahmed Shukairy became their first leader at an Arab League meeting following the Arab-Israeli war.

The PLO is a conglomeration of political factions, guerilla groups and other groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. During another Arab League meeting, the PLO was declared to be Palestine’s representative. This afforded them diplomatic relations with the United Nations and recognition by many nations.

In 1969 Yasir Arafat became the chairman of the PLO. Mohammed Abdel-Raouf Arafat As Qudwa al-Hussaeini was born in 1929 in Cairo. He was better known to most as Yasir. Both parents were Palestinian with his mother having family in Jerusalem. When his mother passed away he went to live with his uncle in Jerusalem. This led to at least one childhood memory of his uncle’s house being broken into and wrecked by British soldiers. He then returned to Cairo and began to smuggle arms to Palestine and shortly after joined in the fight against the Jews. The creation of Israel was a large blow to his ideals and was left drifting trying to find his place again. He went back to school and became a leader for the Palestinian students. He started a contracting company but spent any time away from...