Editing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (section)

{{Short description|Palestinian Marxist–Leninist militant and designated terrorist organization}}
{{redirect|PFLP|other meanings|PFLP (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2008}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox political party
| name             = Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
| native_name      = الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
| native_name_lang = ar
| logo             = Logo of PFLP.png
| caption          = 
| leader1_title    = General Secretary
| leader1_name     = [[Ahmad Sa'adat]]
| foundation       = {{start date|1967}}
| founder          = [[George Habash]]
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap
 | [[Communism]]
 | [[Marxism–Leninism]]
 | [[Revolutionary socialism]]
 | [[Palestinian nationalism]]
 | [[Secularism]]
 | [[Anti-imperialism]]
 | [[Anti-Zionism]]
 | [[Pan-Arabism]]
 | [[Arab nationalism]]<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30099510 Profile: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine] [[BBC News]], 18 November 2014</ref>
 | [[One-state solution]]<ref name="One-state solution"/>
}}
| position         = [[Far-left politics|Far-left]]
| headquarters     = [[Damascus]], [[Syria]]
| wing1_title      = Paramilitary wing
| wing1            = [[Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades]]
| national         = [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]<br />[[Democratic Alliance List]]
| international    = [[International Communist Seminar]] (defunct)<br>[[Axis of Resistance]]
| seats1_title     = [[Palestinian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|3|132|hex={{party color|Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine}}}}
| flag             = Flag of PFLP.svg
| colorcode        = {{party color|Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine}}
| website          = [https://pflp.ps/ www.pflp.ps]
| country          = Palestine
}}

The '''Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine''' ({{lang-ar|الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين|translit=al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Taḥrīr Filasṭīn}}, '''PFLP''') is a secular Palestinian [[Marxist–Leninist]] and [[revolutionary socialist]] organization founded in 1967 by [[George Habash]]. It has consistently been the second-largest of the groups forming the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] (the PLO, founded in 1964), the largest being [[Fatah]] (founded in 1959).

[[Ahmad Sa'adat]] has served as General Secretary of the PFLP since 2001. He was sentenced in December 2006 to 30 years in an Israeli prison. The PFLP currently considers both the Fatah-led government in the [[West Bank]] and the [[Hamas]] government in the [[Gaza Strip]] illegal because elections to the [[Palestinian National Authority]] have not been held since 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90854/7242501.html|title= Fatah slams Hamas' intention to reshuffle its deposed government|date= 26 December 2010|newspaper= People's Daily Online|access-date= 4 February 2012}}</ref> {{As of | 2015}}, the PFLP boycotts participation in the [[Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO Executive Committee]]<ref name=middleeasteye>{{cite news|last1= Ibrahim|first1= Arwa|title= PROFILE: The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine|url= http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/profile-popular-front-liberation-palestine-29954131 |work= [[Middle East Eye]] |date= 13 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Bringing the PFLP back into PLO fold? |url= http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=319959 |work=[[Ma'an News Agency]]|date= 2 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Profile: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30099510|work= [[BBC News]]|date= 18 November 2014}}</ref> and the [[Palestinian National Council]].<ref name=reuters>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-plo/palestinian-forum-convenes-after-22-years-beset-by-division-idUSKBN1I1101 |title=Palestinian forum convenes after 22 years, beset by division |first=Ali|last=Sawafta|website=reuters.com|date=30 April 2018 }}</ref>

The PFLP has generally taken a hard line on Palestinian national aspirations, opposing the more moderate stance of Fatah. It does not recognise the [[Israel|State of Israel]], it opposes negotiations with the [[Cabinet of Israel|Israeli government]], and favours a [[one-state solution]] to the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict]]. The military wing of the PFLP is called the [[Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades]]. The PFLP is well known for pioneering armed [[aircraft hijacking|aircraft-hijacking]]s in the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1604540.stm|title= Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine|date= 26 January 2008|newspaper= BBC News|access-date= 4 February 2012}}</ref> According to PFLP Politburo member<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thelawfareproject.org/lawfare-project-files-criminal-complaint-in-spain-against-leila-khaled-on-terrorism-charges/ |title=Ms. Khaled is a member of the Politburo of the PFLP &#91;...&#93; |access-date=13 June 2018 |archive-date=11 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711090216/http://thelawfareproject.org/lawfare-project-files-criminal-complaint-in-spain-against-leila-khaled-on-terrorism-charges/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> and former aircraft-hijacker [[Leila Khaled]], the PFLP does not see suicide bombing as a form of resistance to occupation or as a strategic action or policy and no longer carries out such attacks.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} The PFLP has been designated a [[List of designated terrorist groups|terrorist organisation]] by the [[United States]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm|title= Foreign Terrorist Organizations|work= U.S. Department of State}}</ref> [[Japan]],<ref name="Japan_ban">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2002/7/0705.html |title=MOFA: Implementation of the Measures including the Freezing of Assets against Terrorists and the Like |access-date=21 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406134416/http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/announce/2002/7/0705.html |archive-date=6 April 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Canada]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-eng.aspx#2042|title= About the listing process|access-date= 17 July 2015}}</ref> [[Australia]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-legal-threatens-to-sue-australian-charity-for-funding-terror-group/|title= Israeli legal group threatens to sue Australian charity for funding terror group|work= [[Times of Israel]]|date= 14 October 2012|access-date= 23 March 2016}}</ref> and the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:165:0072:0074:EN:PDF | title=EUR-Lex – Official Journal of the European Union }}</ref>

From its foundation the PFLP sought [[superpower]] patrons, early on developing ties with the [[Soviet Union]], the [[China|People's Republic of China]], and, at various times, with [[regional power]]s such as [[Syria]], [[South Yemen]], [[Libya]], [[North Korea]], and [[Iraq]], as well as with left-wing groups around the world, including the [[FARC]] and the [[Japanese Red Army]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 2021 |title=How North Korea supports Palestine and aided Hamas {{!}} NK News |url=https://www.nknews.org/2021/05/how-north-korea-supports-palestine-and-aided-hamas/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520132041/https://www.nknews.org/2021/05/how-north-korea-supports-palestine-and-aided-hamas/ |archive-date=20 May 2021 |access-date=21 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=United States |last2=Department of State |last3=Office for Combatting Terrorism |last4=United States |last5=Department of State |last6=Office of the Ambassador at Large for Counter-Terrorism |last7=United States |last8=Department of State |last9=Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism |date=1983 |title=Patterns of global terrorism. |journal=Patterns of Global Terrorism. |language=English |pages=20 |via=WorldCat}}</ref> When that support diminished or stopped, in the late 1980s and 1990s, the PFLP sought new allies and developed contacts with [[Islamism|Islamist]] groups linked to [[Iran]], despite the PFLP's strong adherence to secularism and [[anti-clericalism]]. The relationship between the PFLP and the [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]] has fluctuated{{snd}}it strengthened as a result of Hamas moving away from Iran due to differing positions on the [[Syrian civil war|Syrian Civil War]]. Iran rewarded the PFLP for its pro-[[Bashar al-Assad|Assad]] stance with an increase in financial and military assistance.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/09/iran-pflp-gaza-palestine-syria.html##ixzz3GuZeTOzl|title= Iran Increases Aid to PFLP Thanks to Syria Stance |work= Al-Monitor|date= 17 September 2013 |access-date= 17 July 2015}}</ref> The PFLP has been accused by Israel of diverting European humanitarian aid from [[Palestinian NGOs Network|Palestinian NGOs]] to itself.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/shin-bet-european-humanitarian-funds-diverted-to-pflp-667426|title=Four Palestinians to be charged with diverting European aid to terrorism|website=The Jerusalem Post &#124; JPost.com}}</ref>