Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a Palestinian nationalist coalition that is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people. Founded in 1964, it initially sought to establish an Arab state over the entire territory of the former Mandatory Palestine, advocating the elimination of the State of Israel. However, in 1993, the PLO recognized Israeli sovereignty with the Oslo I Accord, and now only seeks Arab statehood in the Palestinian territories that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War.
Some of the key events about Palestine Liberation Organization
- 1964Established as the representative organization for the Palestinian people
- 1970Hijacked multiple international flights and blew up empty planes after passengers were released
- 1972Carried out the Munich Olympics attack, killing 11 Israeli athletes and coaches
- 1974Gained observer status in the United Nations General Assembly
- 1974Attacked a school in Ma'alot, Israel, resulting in 25 hostages killed
- 1978Conducted a bus hijacking on Israel's Coastal Road, killing 38 civilians
- 1982Assassinated the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom in London
- 1985Hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship, murdering an American passenger
- 1988Declared the independence of the State of Palestine
- 1988Attempted a seaborne raid on Israeli beaches, which was intercepted
- 1989Launched an unsuccessful attack on an Israeli beach near Tel Aviv
- 1993Signed the Oslo Accords, recognizing Israel's right to exist and establishing limited Palestinian self-governance
- 1994Established the Palestinian National Authority to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
- 1996Held the first Palestinian general elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council
- 1998Removed clauses calling for Israel's destruction from its charter
- 2000Rejected peace negotiations at Camp David, leading to the Second Intifada
- 2001Caught attempting to smuggle weapons into Palestinian territories via the Karine A ship
- 2011Successfully applied for UNESCO membership
- 2012Achieved non-member observer state status in the United Nations
- 2015Joined the International Criminal Court, gaining the ability to pursue war crimes charges
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.