The Similarities between PLO and FLN and How Both Groups Fought for Freedom

Post by 

Chirusha de Mel

March 26, 2017

Professor Shirk

Blog Post 2

The Similarities between PLO and FLN and How Both Groups Fought for Freedom

While learning about the different groups in class, such as the PLO and FLN, it is important to understand another perspective on why these groups are fighting for freedom, whereas categorizing them as terrorist groups. According to Daniel Pipes, the PLO is considered to be more like Algeria’s FLN, both groups have a specific but limited agenda of getting Westerners out of their land.  Both groups were seen as freedom fighters because of political strategies and methods they used to reach their objectives. There have been a large number of innocent civilians who have died within their own ethnicity.

       Some scholars may argue that the PLO is a terrorist group, however it is important to understand their motives and the cause behind it. However, PLO did use violence and intimidation, but one could argue that it was for the Palestine cause not for their individual benefits. PLO is not an actual state; they are an organization which characterized them as non-terrorist organization. The PLO used guerilla warfare tactics to fight against the Israeli in order to demoralize them. According to Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? The Origins of the Palestine Liberation Organization by Ashley Fritchl, “initiated attacks from the borders of Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, entering through the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and from inside Israel as well. The Israelis fought back, and gave them a choice after defeat, go back to their homes or get help relocating to another area. This never was accomplished, but the Israelis did refuse Palestine from returning to their land, and instead used it to contain Jewish immigrants.” This aggravated the PLO organization to be more resistant to the Jewish expansion.

In addition, many individuals can argue that the tactics that were used were unjust and controversial in order to achieve freedom. FLN used similar political strategies against the French. FLN publicized women’s participation in the war as evidence of their freedom and dignity under Islam (Eager, Paige).  According Martin C Thomas, FLN were characterized as freedom fighters during the end of the conflict. He articulated that in “early decades of military rule shaded into a protracted colonization process that hardened the territory's inter-communal antagonisms and ensured that colonial Algeria was also steeped in violence. Estimates vary, but some calculate that 825,000 Algerians fell victim to violence during the first forty-five years of colonial conquest after 1830, a figure broadly comparable to the number who succumbed to famine and epidemic disease over the same period (Martin p.218).” The FLN fought to liberate their country from the occupied French forces. Their motive is also seen as a political strategy to oppose the efforts of the assimilation of Algerians into their French culture. In the Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon, colonialists proclaimed that the European culture was beneficial for all natives in order to emulate by using violence and divide-and-conquer strategies to keep the natives down. Fanon also proclaimed that violence against the settlers was a way for colonized people to regain their sense of self-respect. Thus, there is a clear resemblance between the PLO and FLN when fighting for freedom. 

Eager, Paige. From Freedom Fighters to Terrorists: Women and Political Violence.

Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched Of The Earth. New York : Grove Press, ©1963. Print.

Thomas, Martin. The Routledge History of Terrorism. Edited by Randall D. Law. New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2015

2 Key Differences between Hamas and PLO :: Reader Comments at Daniel Pipes." Daniel Pipes. N.p., n.d. Web.

Fritchl, Ashley. "Washington State University." Fall 2015 Terrorists or Freedom Fighters The Origins of the Palestine Liberation Organization Comments. N.p., n.d. Web.