PALESTINIAN POPULAR STRUGGLE FRONT (Jabhat al-Nidal al-Shaʾabi al-Filastini, in Arabic)

Marxist-Leninist in inspiration and upholding Arab nationalism, the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) was created on 15 July 1967 in the West Bank, after the Arab defeat in the Arab-Israel War, which caused numerous splinters in al-Fatah. Its founder, Bahjat Abu Gharbiyya, a former member of the Baʿth Party in Ramallah, advocated continuing the struggle against Israel to recover the territories occupied by the Israeli army. In 1968 the PPSF emerged from clandestinity by opening an office in Jordan. In 1971 it joined with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Abu Gharbiya was elected to its Executive Committee. Between 1971 and 1973 there were vain negotiations to merge the leading members of the PPSF in the ranks of al-Fatah. In November 1973, following the Arab defeat in the Arab-Israel War, the movement decided to leave the PLO and establish its headquarters in Syria, and its operational section in Lebanon. The following year, Ghosheh became secretary general of the PPSF. Seven years later, in 1981, the movement was admitted to the Palestine National Council (PNC). In 1983 the PPSF joined the Palestinian opposition alliance, the Palestinian National Salvation Front (PNSF).

From 1988, a new rapprochement with the PLO provoked much dissension in the PPSF, and certain members remained loyal to Syria. In April 1992, a dissident current supported by Damascus decreed that Ghosheh was no longer secretary general of the PPSF, and was replaced by Khalid Abdul Majid (Abu al-Abed), seconded by Muhammad Khalil al-Fitani (Abu Nayif). In October 1993, Ghosheh was alone in declaring himself in favor of the Israeli-Palestinian accord of the preceding 13 September, while the rest of the movement supported the faction led by Abdul Majid, an opponent of the peace process. (As for Abu Gharbiyya, he joined the Rejection Front in 1974 and stood as its candidate for speaker of the PNC in 1977, but lost to Khalid al-Fahum.

SEE ALSO Arab-Israel War (1967);Arab-Israel War (1973);Fatah, al-;Palestine National Council;Palestinian National Salvation Front.