Ahmed Jibril
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Jibril is the founder and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
(PFLP-GC), part of the left-wing, Palestinian
national liberation movement.
Since its inception in 1968, the PFLP-GC has staged numerous attacks against Israeli and other targets, both military and civilian.
Jibril's son, Jihad Ahmed Jibril
, who headed the PFLP-GC's military wing and was in line to replace Jibril as leader of the group, was killed by a car bomb in Beirut
on May 20, 2002.
a town near Jaffa
in Palestine, in 1938 http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1C1FF390-F513-4F73-B742-536264B1E254. His family moved to Syria
, where he was raised, and where he served in the army from 1956 until 1958, rising to the rank of captain before being expelled as a suspected Communist. He founded the Palestinian Liberation Front in 1959, then joined George Habash
to found the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
in 1967, an armed movement that combined Arab nationalism
with leftist ideology.
. He formed the separate pro-Syrian PFLP-General Command. Jibril has not wavered in his support of Syria, and his group remains based in Damascus
.
Jibril never wavered from his belief that Palestine could only be liberated through military attrition. He joined Habash and other splinter groups which opposed negotiations with the Israeli government. He launched a variety of inventive attacks, including the "Night of the Gliders
" on 25 November 1987.
, and Iran.
Samuel Katz
's Israel vs. Jibril distinguishes the PFLP-GC and Jibril's strategy from the rest of the PLO by its emphasis on military training and equipment, and not on declarations and publicity stunts. This caused the group to fail to make a significant mark on the public debate. Since 1994's Oslo Accords
, support for the PFLP-GC dwindled among Palestinians willing to make concessions to the Jewish state, who flocked to Fatah's new Palestinian Authority, and among hawks, who mainly backed Hamas and the PFLP, which was more established in the West Bank.
On May 7, 2001, the Israeli Navy seized a Palestinian boat filled with heavy weapons in the port of Haifa
. Jibril is believed to have been behind the shipment of weapons, which were bound for the Gaza Strip
.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command is a Palestinian nationalist organization, backed by Syria and Iran...
(PFLP-GC), part of the left-wing, Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
national liberation movement.
Since its inception in 1968, the PFLP-GC has staged numerous attacks against Israeli and other targets, both military and civilian.
Jibril's son, Jihad Ahmed Jibril
Jihad Ahmed Jibril
Mohammed Jihad Ahmed Jibril was the son of Ahmed Jibril, founder of the PFLP-GC. He was assassinated in Beirut on May 20, 2002 at the age of 38. Jihad Ahmed Jibril was born in Damascus, Syria in 1964; he attended high school at ثانوية عز الدين التنوخي and graduated in May of 1982. Mr...
, who headed the PFLP-GC's military wing and was in line to replace Jibril as leader of the group, was killed by a car bomb in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
on May 20, 2002.
Early life
Jibril was born in YazurYazur
Yazur was an Arab town located east of Jaffa. Mentioned in 7th century BCE Assyrian texts, the village was a site of contestation between Muslims and Crusaders in the 12th century....
a town near Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
in Palestine, in 1938 http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1C1FF390-F513-4F73-B742-536264B1E254. His family moved to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, where he was raised, and where he served in the army from 1956 until 1958, rising to the rank of captain before being expelled as a suspected Communist. He founded the Palestinian Liberation Front in 1959, then joined George Habash
George Habash
George Habash also known by his laqab "al-Hakim" was a Palestinian nationalist. Habash, a Palestinian Christian, founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which pioneered the hijacking of airplanes as a Middle East militant tactic...
to found the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine is a Palestinian Marxist-Leninist organisation founded in 1967. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the Palestine Liberation Organization , the largest being Fatah...
in 1967, an armed movement that combined Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism
Arab nationalism is a nationalist ideology celebrating the glories of Arab civilization, the language and literature of the Arabs, calling for rejuvenation and political union in the Arab world...
with leftist ideology.
Break from the PFLP
In 1968 Jibril broke away from the PFLP because of disputes over the more revolutionary Marxism advocated by Habash and Nayef HawatmehNayef Hawatmeh
Nayef Hawatmeh , Jordanian-Palestinian Christian politician. His name can be transliterated from the Arabic in many ways; variants include Naif Hawatma, Niaf Hawathme, etc....
. He formed the separate pro-Syrian PFLP-General Command. Jibril has not wavered in his support of Syria, and his group remains based in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Jibril never wavered from his belief that Palestine could only be liberated through military attrition. He joined Habash and other splinter groups which opposed negotiations with the Israeli government. He launched a variety of inventive attacks, including the "Night of the Gliders
Night of the Gliders
Night of the Gliders , or the Kibia action, refers to an incident that took place on November 25, 1987, in which two Palestinian guerillas infiltrated into Israel from South Lebanon using hang gliders to launch a surprise attack against Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Six Israeli soldiers were...
" on 25 November 1987.
Signature
The PFLP-GC maintained cells in several European cities, which carried out anti-American or anti-Israeli operations on behalf of Syria, LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and Iran.
Samuel Katz
Shmuel Katz
This page is for the writer and historian. For the illustrator and cartoonist, see Shemuel KatzShmuel "Mooki" Katz, born Samuel Katz was an Israeli writer, historian and journalist...
's Israel vs. Jibril distinguishes the PFLP-GC and Jibril's strategy from the rest of the PLO by its emphasis on military training and equipment, and not on declarations and publicity stunts. This caused the group to fail to make a significant mark on the public debate. Since 1994's Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
, support for the PFLP-GC dwindled among Palestinians willing to make concessions to the Jewish state, who flocked to Fatah's new Palestinian Authority, and among hawks, who mainly backed Hamas and the PFLP, which was more established in the West Bank.
On May 7, 2001, the Israeli Navy seized a Palestinian boat filled with heavy weapons in the port of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. Jibril is believed to have been behind the shipment of weapons, which were bound for the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
.