JIM REED:
The Palestinian players
CBC News Viewpoint | June 27, 2003 | More from Jim Reed
There's an old saying in diplomatic circles that "Today's terrorist may be tomorrow's statesman." History is replete with famous people who made the transition, including many African leaders and members of militant groups in Northern Ireland, as well as the current Palestinian president and a former prime minister of Israel.
At the moment, the United States continues to push the internationally sponsored road map for peace and is calling for the dismantling of all armed Palestinian organizations. Here are a few of those groups.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is the most Islamist of all the Palestinian militant groups. In the past it has consistently rejected a negotiated peace settlement with Israel; like Hamas, Islamic Jihad has called for the destruction of the Jewish state. Both groups combine their political goals with Islamic beliefs.
The primary difference between the two is that the PIJ is an offshoot of the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and was founded in the 1970s as a resistance movement, dedicated first to ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and, ultimately, to the destruction of the Jewish state itself.
Hamas is an entirely homegrown product; it came into being in 1987, near the beginning of the first Palestinian Intifada. It was founded in the Gaza Strip with a two-fold purpose: to provide medical and other social services, including education, to Palestinian refugees; and to identify and kill Palestinians who collaborated with Israeli security forces. It soon spawned a rudimentary military wing, which carried out operations including suicide attacks, first against Israeli soldiers and settlers (whom it regards as occupiers), and later against civilians within Israel.
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have received funds in the past from Saddam Hussein as well as from sources in Iran and Lebanon.
Groups such as these are in a constant state of flux, changing their philosophies, outlook and aims in concert with the changing circumstances of the times. Hamas has said that in the future it could change its policy. Officials of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have said that at some point in the future, under the right circumstances, they could recognize the state of Israel.
The first Palestinian armed group was al-Fatah, a non-religious group of Palestinian exiles, founded in the 1950s by Mahmoud Abbas, Yasser Arafat and Khalil al Wazir. In its early days, al-Fatah was labelled by western governments as a terrorist organization. Originally it pursued an armed struggle against Israel but eventually recognized the futility of such a course. It now forms the core of the Palestinian Authority and is defined by Israel and others as a political party and not as an illegal organization.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is a Marxist-socialist group and predominately Christian. It was founded by Dr. Georges Habash in 1967 in Lebanon. The PFLP "aims to mobilize Palestinians to liberate Palestine." The group's stated goal is the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state where all citizens enjoy equal rights, free from discrimination on the basis of race, sex or religious belief. Its influence with Palestinians has declined dramatically, as the influence of Islamic groups has increased.
Tanzim is a loosely organized militia, affiliated with al-Fatah. It sprang up at the beginning of the second Intifada in September 2000. It's a ragtag group, whose members have routinely confronted Israeli troops and who often act as freelance fighters in the streets. As an organization, Tanzim is less active now than it once was.
The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is loosely affiliated with al-Fatah and was also formed immediately after Ariel Sharon's provocative visit to Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, the beginning of the second Intifada.
Of all these groups, Hamas is the most popular and influential with Palestinians because of the social services it provides.
Ironically, Hamas – the very group that U.S. President George W. Bush wants to dismantle – could end up as the popular choice of Palestinians in a future general election.
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JIM REED
FREELANCE WRITER
Jim Reed has worked as a researcher, writer, producer, director, reporter and news anchor for CTV, TVO and CBC. He has travelled widely and has freelanced for The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail and other news organizations.
He is now a news anchor for Newsworld International.
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