Editing Palestine Liberation Organization (section)

==Peace process==
{{further|Palestinian views on the peace process#Yasser Arafat and the PLO}}
Initially, as a guerrilla organization, the PLO performed actions against Israel in the 1970s and early 1980s, regarded as terroristic activities by Israel and regarded as a [[Wars of national liberation|war of liberation]] by the PLO. In 1988, however, the PLO officially endorsed a two-state solution, contingent on terms such as making [[East Jerusalem]] the capital of the Palestinian state and giving Palestinians the [[right of return]] to land occupied by Palestinians prior to 1948, as well as the right to continue armed struggle until the end of "The Zionist Entity."{{Clarify|reason=This is misleading. If you agree to a t.s.s. (= peace by accepting two states), it is contradictory to at the same time encourage continued armed struggle against one of those two states. So, we'd need a more precise citing from that 2004 book of W.L. Cleveland.|date=July 2024}}{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}<ref>William L. Cleveland, ''A History of the Modern Middle East'', Westview Press (2004). {{ISBN|978-0-8133-4048-7}}.</ref> In 1996, the PLO nullified the articles of the PLO's Charter, or parts of it, which called for the destruction of Israel and for armed resistance.<ref>Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, [http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/cache/offonce/pid/12361 ''Decisions and Actions Related to the Palestine National Charter''] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121212003808/http://www.un.int/wcm/content/site/palestine/cache/offonce/pid/12361|date=12 December 2012}}</ref>

===Ten Point Program===
{{main|PLO's Ten Point Program}}
Following the failure of the armies of Egypt and Syria to defeat Israel in October 1973 [[Yom Kippur War]], which broke the status quo existing since June 1967 [[Six-Day War]], the PLO began formulating a strategic alternative.<ref name=merip/> Now, they intended to establish a "national authority" over every territory they would be able to reconquer. From 1 to 9 June 1974, the Palestine National Council held its 12th meeting in Cairo. On 8 June, the [[PLO's Ten Point Program|Ten Point Program]] was adopted. The Program stated:

{{blockquote|The Liberation Organization will employ all means, and first and foremost armed struggle, to liberate Palestinian territory and to establish the independent combatant national authority for the people over every part of Palestinian territory that is liberated. This will require further changes being effected in the balance of power in favour of our people and their struggle.<ref name=ten_point>[https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/BA7A9909F792340F8525704D006BDAF1 ''Text of the Ten Point Program''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325120540/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/BA7A9909F792340F8525704D006BDAF1|date=25 March 2015}}, 8 June 1974. On UNISPAL</ref>}}

By "every part of Palestinian territory that is liberated" was implicitly meant the West Bank and Gaza Strip, albeit presented as an interim goal.<ref name=merip>[http://www.merip.org/mer/mer80/plo-crossroads ''The PLO at the Crossroads—Moderation, Encirclement, Future Prospects'']. See par. The PLO on the Road to "Moderation". Sameer Abraham, MER 80, Volume: 9, September/October 1979</ref> The final goal remained "completing the liberation of all Palestinian territory" and "recover all their national rights and, first and foremost, their rights to return and to self-determination on the whole of the soil of their homeland".<ref name=plo1974>[http://www.mideastweb.org/plo1974.htm The PNC Program of 1974], 8 June 1974. On the site of MidEastWeb for Coexistence R.A. – Middle East Resources. Page includes commentary.</ref> In addition, [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 242|UN Resolution 242]] was still rejected.<ref name=ten_point/>

While clinging to armed struggle as the prime means, the PLO no longer excluded peaceful means. Therefore, the ''Ten Point Program'' was considered the first attempt by the PLO at peaceful resolution. In October 1974, the Arab League proclaimed the PLO "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in any Palestinian territory that is liberated", and also the UN recognized the PLO. From then, the diplomatic road was prepared. On the other hand, the Program was rejected by more radical factions and eventually caused a split in the movement.<ref name=merip/>

===First Intifada===
{{Main|First Intifada}}
In 1987, the [[First Intifada]] broke out in the [[West Bank]] and Gaza Strip. The Intifada caught the PLO by surprise,<ref>[http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2004/11/11arafat.html Yasser Arafat obituary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111102436/http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2004/11/11arafat.html|date=11 January 2017}}, socialistworld.net (Committee for a Worker's International) 11 November 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2006.</ref> and the leadership abroad could only indirectly influence the events. A new local leadership emerged, the [[Unified National Leadership of the Uprising]] (UNLU), comprising many leading Palestinian factions. After [[Hussein of Jordan|King Hussein]] of Jordan proclaimed the administrative and legal separation of the West Bank from Jordan in 1988,<ref>King Hussein, [http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/88_july31.html Address to the Nation], Amman, Jordan, 31 July 1988. On the Royal Hashemit Court's official site in tribute to King Hussein. Retrieved 5 December 2006.</ref> the Palestine National Council adopted the [[Palestinian Declaration of Independence]] in [[Algiers]], proclaiming an independent [[Palestine]]. The declaration made reference to UN resolutions without explicitly mentioning Security Council [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 242|Resolutions 242]] and [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 338|338]].

A month later, Arafat declared in [[Geneva]] that the PLO would support a solution to the conflict based on these Resolutions. Effectively, the PLO recognized Israel's right to exist within pre-1967 borders, with the understanding that the Palestinians would be allowed to set up their own state in the West Bank and Gaza. The United States accepted this clarification by Arafat and began to allow diplomatic contacts with PLO officials.<!--While the Intifada many members of PLO organizations take a part at the activities or organized them, especially as "Unified Intifada Leadership" and its branches. At the beginning that activities weren't organized by the PLO itself. But, later the activities (especially the violent ones, like killing Israelis or collaborators) were more and more organized by the PLO. IS THERE A SOURCE FOR THIS? The UIL paid allegiance to the PLO, but how directly influenced it was by the PLO needs to be clarified. That the PLO was responsible for the more violent acts needs a source, please/!--> The Proclamation of Independence did not lead to statehood, although over 100 states [[International recognition of Palestine|recognized]] the State of Palestine.

===Oslo Accords===
{{main|Oslo Accords}}
In 1993, the PLO secretly negotiated the [[Oslo Accords]] with Israel.<ref name=beyer>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2EzIySCw9VIC&q=PLO+secretly+negotiated+1993&pg=PA116|title=Violent Globalisms|isbn=978-0-7546-7205-0|last1=Beyer|first1=Cornelia|year=2008|publisher=Ashgate Publishing}}</ref> The accords were signed on 20 August 1993,<ref name=beyer/> with a subsequent public ceremony in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993 with Yasser Arafat and [[Yitzhak Rabin]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkbzYoZtaJMC&q=%22september+13+1993%22+arafat&pg=PA66|title=Encyclopedia of the Palestinians|isbn=978-0-8160-6986-6|last1=Mattar|first1=Philip|year=2005|publisher=Infobase}}</ref> The Accords granted Palestinians the right to self-government in the Gaza Strip and the city of [[Jericho]] in the [[West Bank]] through the creation of the [[Palestinian Authority]]. Yasser Arafat was appointed head of the Palestinian Authority and a timetable for elections was laid out. The headquarters of the PLO were moved to [[Ramallah]] on the West Bank.<ref name="PLOhead1"/><ref name="PLOhead2"/>