Palestinian Liberation Front facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Palestinian Liberation Front جبهة التحرير الفلسطينية

Leader	Wasel Abu Yousef
Founded	1959 (1959)
Headquarters	Ramallah, Palestine
Ideology	Ba'athism Secularism Arab socialism Palestinian nationalism
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
National affiliation	PLO

The Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) is a small political group from Palestine. It is also known as the Palestine Liberation Front - Abu Abbas Faction. This group is considered to be on the left side of politics.

The PLF was involved in the Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985. Because of its actions, the PLF has been called a group that uses violence against civilians by countries like the United States (since 1997) and Canada (since 2003). It is also not allowed in Japan.

The PLF has taken part in Palestinian elections. In 1996, they received a small number of votes (0.11%). In 2006, they ran under the name ‘Martyr Abu Abbas’ and got 0.30% of the votes.

History of the PLF
Actions by the PLF
What the PLF Believes In
Election Results
- Legislative Council Elections
See also

History of the PLF

How the PLF Started

The PLF was first created by Ahmad Jibril in 1959. It had strong support from Syria. In 1967, the PLF joined with two other groups to form the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). This new group was led by George Habash.

However, in April 1968, Ahmad Jibril left the PFLP. He started a new group called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC). This group was very supportive of Syria, just like the original PLF.

Later, the PLF group re-formed. This happened after some fighting between different Palestinian groups during the Lebanese Civil War. In 1977, a new PLF was created. It was led by Muhammad Zaidan, also known as Abu Abbas, and Tal'at Ya'akub. There was still some fighting between the PFLP-GC and the new PLF.

The Split in 1982

In 1982, during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the PLF split into three different parts. The groups disagreed about their relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Fatah. Each of these three groups still called itself the PLF.

One group was led by Tal'at Ya'akub. This group stayed neutral in the conflicts and was based in Lebanon. After Ya'akub passed away in 1988, his group broke apart.
Another group, led by Abd al-Fatah Ghanim, was very pro-Syrian. This group later moved its base to Libya.
The largest group was led by Abu Abbas. This group had about 400 members and was based in Tunisia. After the Achille Lauro hijacking in 1985, Abu Abbas was asked to leave Tunisia. His group then moved to Baghdad, Iraq.

Even though all three groups used the same name, Abu Abbas's group was responsible for the most well-known violent actions. This is why his group is the one often referred to when the PLF is mentioned as a group that uses violence.

After the Split

In the 1990s, some believed that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein supported the PLF. Intelligence agencies thought the PLF leaders were in Baghdad during the Iraq war.

By 1993, Abu Abbas, the leader of the PLF, was still an important figure in the PLO. He was part of the PLO's Executive Committee. However, after the PLO signed the Oslo Agreement in 1994, which the PLF did not agree with, Abu Abbas changed his views. He stopped supporting violence and said that Israel had a right to exist.

The PLF still had offices in Palestinian areas, Lebanon, and Iraq. However, their activities became less frequent. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the PLF had less public support. Most of its followers were in Lebanese refugee camps.

Recent Developments (Since 2000)

In November 2001, Israeli authorities arrested 15 members of a PLF group. These individuals had received training in Iraq. They had planned attacks in cities like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. They were also involved in other violent acts.

During the Iraq War in April 2003, Abu Abbas was captured by US forces in Baghdad. The US government had stated that the Iraqi government supported the PLF. The Palestinian government asked for Abu Abbas to be released. They said his arrest went against a 1995 agreement.

Abu Abbas passed away while in US custody in March 2004. Official reports said he died of natural causes. However, some Palestinian groups and his family believed he was murdered. The PLF later participated in Palestinian elections under the name ‘Martyr Abu Abbas’ but did not win any seats.

Recent Developments (Since 2010)

Since 2014, there has been more fighting between the PLF and other Palestinian groups. These groups include Fatah, Hamas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They often fight for power in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. This fighting makes life harder for the people living there, leading to unemployment and problems for young people.

Since 2016, the PLF has not claimed responsibility for any attacks. It still has a military presence in refugee camps in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.

Actions by the PLF

The Palestinian Liberation Front has carried out several actions that have involved harm to civilians. Because of these actions, groups like the European Union and the United States have called the PLF a group that uses violence against civilians.

Attack on Nahariya (1979)

On April 22, 1979, four PLF members landed in Israel from Lebanon. They entered an apartment building and took people hostage. A 17-year-old PLF fighter, Samir Kuntar, was said to have harmed two of the hostages when Israeli security forces arrived. Two police officers and two of the attackers also died. Kuntar was imprisoned in Israel. He was later killed in an air strike in December 2015.

The Achille Lauro Hijacking (1985)

A well-known event was the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship MS Achille Lauro on October 7, 1985. The hijackers originally wanted to use the ship to secretly enter Israel. However, crew members found them with weapons. The group then took control of the ship and harmed an elderly American man, Leon Klinghoffer.

Later, US planes forced the Egyptian aircraft carrying Abu Abbas to land in Sicily. The Italian authorities allowed Abbas to leave, but later sentenced him to life in prison in his absence. Abbas was then expelled from Tunisia and set up his base in Baghdad, Iraq.

Beach Attack (1990)

In May 1990, the PLF launched an attack on Nizanim beach in Israel, near Tel Aviv. This attack was encouraged by Iraq. The attackers intended to harm tourists and Israeli civilians, but they were stopped. This event was important because the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, did not speak out against the attack. This led to the United States stopping its talks with the Palestinians.

Netanya Market Bombing (2002)

In May 2002, a person got out of a taxi in the market square of Netanya and set off an explosive device. A television station reported that the Palestinian Liberation Front claimed responsibility for this attack. Another group, Hamas, also claimed responsibility.

Explosion at Karni Border Crossing (2005)

In January 2005, an explosive device was set off near an Israeli military base in the Gaza Strip, at the Karni crossing. Grenades were then fired, and a fight broke out. Five people died. Several groups, including the Palestinian Liberation Front, claimed responsibility for this attack. They said it was a "continuation of the resistance." This happened even though Abu Abbas had said he no longer supported violence in 1994.

What the PLF Believes In

The Palestinian Liberation Front is seen as a radical left-wing group. Its main goal is to create an independent Palestinian state. The PLF is described as a nationalist and secular group. It supports ideas like Ba'athism and Arab socialism. It is part of a larger group of revolutionary Palestinian organizations, which also includes the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fatah.

Election Results

Legislative Council Elections

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position
1996	3,919	0.11	0 / 88	New	12th
2006	3,011	0.30	0 / 132		9th