Editing Yasser Arafat (section)

==Confrontation with Jordan==
{{See also|Black September}}
[[File:Arafat in Jordan.jpg|thumb|right|Arafat with [[Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine]] leader, [[Nayef Hawatmeh]] and Palestinian writer [[Kamal Nasser]] at press conference in [[Amman]], 1970]]

In the late 1960s, tensions between Palestinians and the Jordanian government increased greatly; heavily armed Palestinian elements had created a virtual "state within a state" in Jordan, eventually controlling several strategic positions in that country. After their proclaimed victory in the Battle of Karameh, Fatah and other Palestinian militias began taking control of civil life in Jordan. They set up roadblocks, publicly humiliated Jordanian police forces, molested women and levied illegal taxes—all of which Arafat either condoned or ignored.<ref name="Sayigh"/> [[Hussein of Jordan|King Hussein]] considered this a growing threat to his kingdom's sovereignty and security, and attempted to disarm the militias. However, in order to avoid a military confrontation with opposition forces, Hussein dismissed several of his anti-PLO cabinet officials, including some of his own family members, and invited Arafat to become Deputy [[Prime Minister of Jordan]]. Arafat refused, citing his belief in the need for a [[Palestinian state]] with Palestinian leadership.<ref name="Black September">{{harvnb|Aburish|1998|pages=[https://archive.org/details/arafatfromdefend0001abur/page/100 100–112]}}</ref>

Despite Hussein's intervention, militant actions in Jordan continued. On 15 September 1970, the [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine|PFLP]] (part of the PLO) hijacked four planes and landed three of them at [[Dawson's Field hijackings|Dawson's Field]], located {{convert|30|mi|km|0}} east of [[Amman]]. After the foreign national hostages were taken off the planes and moved away from them, three of the planes were blown up in front of international press, which took photos of the explosion. This tarnished Arafat's image in many western nations, including the United States, who held him responsible for controlling Palestinian factions that belonged to the PLO. Arafat, bowing to pressure from Arab governments, publicly condemned the hijackings and suspended the PFLP from any guerrilla actions for a few weeks. He had taken the same action after the PFLP attacked [[Athens International Airport|Athens Airport]]. The Jordanian government moved to regain control over its territory, and the next day, King Hussein declared [[martial law]].<ref name="Black September"/> On the same day, Arafat became supreme commander of the [[Palestine Liberation Army|PLA]].<ref name="Jordan">{{cite news|title=Black September in Jordan 1970–1971|url=http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/bravo/blacksept1970.htm|publisher=Armed Conflict Events Data|date=16 December 2000|access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Nasser brokering ceasefire with Chairman Arafat and King Hussein.jpg|thumb|right|Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] (center) mediating an agreement between Arafat and Jordanian [[Hussein of Jordan|King Hussein]] to end to the [[Black September in Jordan|Black September]] conflict, during the [[1970 Arab League summit|emergency Arab League summit]], September 1970 ]]

As [[Black September|the conflict raged]], other Arab governments attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution. As part of this effort, Gamal Abdel Nasser led the first emergency [[1970 Arab League summit|Arab League summit in Cairo]] on 21 September. Arafat's speech drew sympathy from attending Arab leaders. Other heads of state took sides against Hussein, among them [[Muammar Gaddafi]], who mocked him and his schizophrenic father [[Talal of Jordan|King Talal]]. A ceasefire was agreed upon between the two sides, but Nasser died of a massive heart attack hours after the summit, and the conflict resumed shortly afterward.<ref name="Black September"/>

By 25 September, the Jordanian Army achieved dominance, and two days later Arafat and Hussein agreed to a ceasefire in Amman. The Jordanian Army inflicted heavy casualties on the Palestinians—including civilians—who suffered approximately 3,500 fatalities.<ref name="Jordan"/> After repeated violations of the ceasefire from both the PLO and the Jordanian Army, Arafat called for King Hussein to be toppled. Responding to the threat, in June 1971, Hussein ordered his forces to oust all remaining Palestinian fighters in northern Jordan, which they accomplished. Arafat and a number of his forces, including two high-ranking commanders, [[Abu Iyad]] and [[Abu Jihad]], were forced into the northern corner of Jordan. They relocated near the town of [[Jerash]], near the border with Syria. With the help of [[Munib Masri]], a pro-Palestinian Jordanian cabinet member, and Fahd al-Khomeimi, the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, Arafat managed to enter Syria with nearly two thousand of his fighters. However, due to the hostility of relations between Arafat and Syrian President [[Hafez al-Assad]] (who had since ousted President [[Salah Jadid]]), the Palestinian fighters crossed the border into Lebanon to join PLO forces in that country, where they set up their new headquarters.<ref name="Mahran">{{cite book|last=Rasheda|first=Mahran|title=Arafat, the Difficult Number|language=ar|publisher=Dar al-Hayan|pages=175–181}}</ref>