an article by Kivanc Ozcan
ABSTRACT
Today, generally speaking, Palestinian people are divided into two ideological and territorial camps. This two-headed structure is one of the obstacles for ongoing resistance which has been continued under the PLO leadership for more than four decades. Since 1964, PLO, accepted as the sole and legitimate representative of Palestinian people, has been the main actor in Arab-Israeli conflict.
As a result of Jewish immigrations, which started at the end of the 19th century, Palestinian resistance movement(s) began. However, until the establishment of the PLO, Palestinian people and the struggle had not been represented by one organization. Rather, the Middle East states competed with each other to represent-exploit- Palestinian issue and tried to impose their own goals by using the issue.
PLO, which was established in 1964, became a regional actor in the Middle East and the sole and legitimate representative of Palestinian people by using multi-dimensional resistance strategy which includes the competition with regional actors, the formation of Palestinian identity, and the creation of inclusive discourse to avoid disintegration of the organization.
However, some academic studies tended to perceive PLO’s struggle and resistance against the occupation only as a military campaign. By following a chronological path in which wars and conflicts were considered as turning points, these studies are far enough to understand the PLO's resistance against the occupation.
This article seeks to inquiry the concept of resistance by analyzing PLO’s strategies in coping with aforementioned difficulties which the organization has faced since its establishment. After presenting an overview historical picture of the Palestinian resistance; the PLO’s competition with the regional powers, its efforts to form a Palestinian identity and its discourse to protect the unity of the organization are put emphasis as building blocks of the resistance. With this inclusive approach, it is aimed to draw a “different” picture of the PLO and its resistance against the occupation.
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