Palestinian Arab Front الجبهة العربية الفلسطينية | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Jamil Shehadah |
| Founded | 1993 (1993) |
| Split from | Arab Liberation Front |
| Headquarters | Ramallah,Palestine |
| Newspaper | Al-Jamahir At-Tajdid |
| Ideology | Palestinian nationalism Pan-Arabism Socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | PLO |
Palestinian Arab Front (Arabic:الجبهة العربية الفلسطينيةAl-Jabhet Al-'Arabiya Al-Falestiniyeh,PAF) is a minorPalestinianArab nationalist faction. PAF is a member of thePalestine Liberation Organization.
The PAF has its roots in theArab Liberation Front (ALF). This group had been created in 1968 by theIraqi-based Ba'ath Party as its wing inside thePalestinian Fedayeen movement, and to serve as a counter-weight to the rivallingSyrian-based Ba'athist faction,al-Sa'iqa, within the PLO and Palestinian politics. The PAF itself was founded in 1993, after a split in the ALF. The split had been provoked by the decision of the ALF to freeze its PLO membership in protest of theOslo Accords, as per Iraqi policy. The organization held its first conference inside Palestine on May 15-May 17, 1997, and eventually drifted closer toFatah and thePalestinian National Authority, while the ALF remained staunchly loyal toBaghdad. The PAF, a very minor faction within PNA politics, has verbally supported the 2000uprising against the Israeli regime's occupation, but it is unclear whether it performed any actual military activity.
The group supported the candidature ofMahmoud Abbas in the2005 presidential elections.[1]
PAF also took part in the2006 legislative election with the list 'Freedom and Independence' (الحرية والاستقلال) in the national constituency. The list had 10 candidatures, 8 from theWest Bank and 2 fromGaza. Two candidates were women. The list was headed by Salim al-Bardeni. In total the list got 4,398 votes (0.44%), which was far below the 2%-barrier to gain parliamentary representation. The group had one candidate in one of the provincial constituencies, Ishak Mahmoud Ishak Bahis in theHebron Governorate. He got 3,446 votes.[2]
According to its own proclamations, PAF supports the right of Palestinian refugees "wishing to return to their homes [to] live at peace with their neighbours," in accordance withUN General Assembly Resolution 194;[3] formation of anindependent Palestinian state within theborders of 1967 withJerusalem as its capital, releasing Palestinian hostages from the Israeli regime, dismantlement of theIsraeli West Bank barrier; and evacuation ofIsraeli settlements from theWest Bank.[4]
Its long-term goals includeArab unity, political integration of the Arab nation of all current Arab states. It promotes strengthening of theArab League and increased Arab economic cooperation. The front promotes increased cooperation amongst Muslim majority countries.
The front vows to fight against all forms of financial and administrative corruption and the elimination of favoritism. It claims to strive to increase participation of women in Palestinian society.[5]
The organization is led by a Central Committee and aPolitburo. The General Secretary of the Front is Jameel Shihadeh ('Abu Khaled') and the Secretary of the Central Committee of Salim al-Bardeni, formerly the director of the Palestinian police.[6] The group is a member of thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and of thePalestinian National and Islamic Forces, which includes both PLO and non-PLO factions.[7] It publishes the magazineAl-Jamahir (الجماهير, 'The Masses') and the bulletinAt-Tajdid (التجديد, 'Renewal').
PAF has a network of front organizations,[5] including
