Drive to liberate Palestine intensifies

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activities in Dec By Donald Kirk bashedly promises to "continue correspondent Donald Kirk returned recently from Chicage Tribune Press Service of his reports. East, talking with Palestinians in the nations he visited.

Here and miltary struggle" even il the PLO SHTAURA, Lebanon — They wins back the Israell-occupied Into the little coffee shop carrying their The West Bank and Gaza Kalashnikov rifles and breathing dellenough for our three million the outside?

Our whole life ple from they are frankly impatient. ance against an enemy they may never bere is too easy." ere has changed since they conquered says one of them, fight on their own terms, much less deIs it really an illusory goal chatting easily in the coffee shop before us, but do not use my name or the Israfeat in battle. ganda slogan with no meaning?

Unques | commanders orders him to elis will throw me across the bridge Into "We will drive them into the tionably, American and Israell officials hold his tongue. "We want to return to would like to think so. Israelis in particSyria and resume our training.

We do It is the same story wherever you repeating Palestine ular believe they can fragment travel In the immediate "confrontation ant to fight Lebanon, only Isreal. one of the oldest of Arab taunts against We want to take back our own land and states," but it is also a story that unity by their reconciliation with Egypt, the Jewish invaders, pointing his rifle by playing upon the desire of Jordan's changes slightly from crisis to crisis. live there." It is a sentiment you bear angrily to Illustrate what he will do to King Hussein to rejoin the West Bank time and again at only among Palestinand now the 3 million Palestinians, are the Jews wben.... with Jordan, by, above all, inducing the ian soldiers but also from refugees in beginning to sense the possibility of But when will they begin thi United States to provide enough arms to change - perhaps real, rather than reeking camps in Beirut, in Johran, inampaign?

It is a question that mos stave off any conceivable threat from side Israell-occupied territery rhetorical, success. Palestinians can only answer with more Syria and the Palestinian Liberation even among affluent Palentinians otherNot all Palestinians share the same wise living in peace and comfort in all views.

As among all people, there are shouts, more speeches, more impreca"moderates" and "extremists" - those If the dream is impossible, however, it of the region, including tions - and little substantive informais one on which the soldiers of the PLA who would advocate "step-by-step" netion or insight gotiations, others -possibly numbering 15,000 men, most "We cannot say we have won ans want nothing BENEATH THE LEVEL of rhetorie, of them based in Syria, under Syrian however, the drive to liberate Pales- - advantage from the war in Lebanon. more than all-out "Jihad," or holy war, control-seem to keep says an East Berlin-educated doctor in feeding with leading to unconditional victory. tine" has gained unprecedented momenseemingly insatiable appetites. the Palestinian refugee camp of Tel AlWell known is the mood of enmity often tum in recent months as a result not Zattar, 30 miles from bere, a seaside displayed against both Yassir Arafat'sal *We do not fight because we are fond only of the war in Lebanon but of intercamp surrounded and cut of by Chris of war," the youthful commander Fatah and the Syrian backed Saiqua by national recognition of the existence of a tian soldiers through much of the fightfour "reqectionist" PLO fronts, including Palestinian troops in this way station Palestinian national identity. the Popular Front for the Liberation of ing in Beirut.

"Every drop lost here in town on the main road to the Syrian A few years ago the world was hardPalestine, responsible for a series of Lebanon must be lost in Israel, not capital of Damascus smilingly assures. ly aware of the concept of a Palestine plane hijackings and other acts of inHe belles his own words, though, as he state, leaders of the Palestine Liberation *We are going back to Palestine whatternational mayhem officially denounced boasts of his exploits behind Israeli lines Organization are fond of pointing out. ever are the obstacles," says one of the by the PLO leadership. during the October, 1973, confrontation experts Middle generally For all their internal differences, howold men gathered in a tin-roofed hut in and shows a long sear on his leg--inacknowledge the Palestinians are a the refugee camp of Bakaa 15 miles ever; there is little question about the flicted by shrapnel in the same operamajor key in any peace settlement. northwest of the Jordanian capital of PLO's long-range aim.

They want it all The passage of years has not mellowed —not just the West Bank and the Gaza Aman.

"We knw America is our fierce Il anything, the fighting *I like to stay on the border of Israel, Strip or even Jerusalem, all conquered enemy; we will go back with the belp of zeal of the Palestinians appears to have ready to fight for the hompland." the Palestine Liberation Organization. by Israel in 1976.

"If you give me one hardened, as epitomized by the PLA says, looking as tough and anxious as a inch of my land, I will accept," runs the All the Palestinians are Fedayeen" soldiers encountered here. football player waiting to go on the field literally typical PLO litany, "but some day I will "The self-sacrificers" or, in "We will defeat them all," bellows the "We are ready to before the big game. loose translation, "those who die saving have all my land.' native of the Isreali-held veteran, pay blood for our country." "We understand historically that no their country." "West Bank" region, as a couple of But how long can he wait?

It is the young PLA soldiers grin approvingly. "I cannot tell you elusive question.

"WHAT DOES IT mean to be under *When I go back, it will not be across stage." said Abdul Jawad Salih, PLO occupation?" asked an afluent, well-eduwhen," he replies coyly, implying that central committee member. the bridge but through the mountains." cated Palestinian foundation executive he does not want to give away any sePROUD WORDS.

But now the PLA happiness in the living in seeming SALIH WAS MAYOR of a town north "Yes, you may of Jerusalem before Israeli authorities when I go on my next operation," he "Arab" section of Jerusalem. "By what soldiers are relegated to peace-keeping says. "You will see.

We are ready." finally expelled him for his "revolutionchores in Lebanon, an alien land, and right am I supposed to be ruled by peo-

Cite this item

"Drive to liberate Palestine intensifies," Chicago Tribune, 29 February 1976. Covering Palestine archive, CP-1976-017. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-1976-017