Palestine

The name Palestine historically refers to region lying between the Mediterranean sea and the River Jordan. It also refers to the British Mandate of Palestine, established by the League of Nations in 1922, which became the State of Israel in 1948, and sparked a decades-long struggle between Jews and Palestinians (as well as neighboring Arab states) for control of the region. Although Israel has managed to maintain absolute authority, the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (السلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية) in 1994 to administer the Palestinian territories within Israel, is considered a positive step towards addressing Palestinian rights of self-determination.

Founded in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية) was established as a political and paramilitary orgnization with the stated goal of the "liberation of Palestine." Since 1974 it has considered the establishment of an independent Palestinian state of the highest priority. Paramilitary factions of the PLO have employed guerilla warfare tactics from bases in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and within Israel to attack Israeli military and civilian targets. The PNA and PLO are separate entitities.

Although a Charter exists, there is no governing mechanism within the PLO, and a number of factions claiming membership have been established, many of them with incongruent goals and methods. The following list identifies some of the former and current member factions of the PLO:

• Fatah (فتح) - left wing/nationalist (founded 1954, by Yasser Arafat)
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)(الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين) - militant communist (founded 1967)
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, General Command (PFLP-GC) - Syrian-backed splinter group (founded 1968)
• Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP)(الجبهة الديموقراطية لتحرير فلسطين) - Marxist/Leninist (founded 1969)
• Palestinian People's Party (PPP)(حزب الشعب الفلسطيني) - socalist (founded 1982)
• Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF)(جبهة التحرير الفلسطينية) - founded 1961
• Arab Liberation Front (AFL)(جبهة التحرير العربية) - allied to Iraqi Ba'ath Party (founded 1969)
• As-Sa'iqa or al-Saika (الصاعقة) - Syrian controlled Ba'athist faction (founded 1968)
• Palestine Democratic Union (Fida)(الاتحاد الديمقراطي الفلسطيني) - founded 1990
• Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) - founded 1967
• Palestinian Arab Front (PAF)(الجبهة العربية الفلسطينية) - founded 1993

Palestinian guerilla units have always naturally operated with whatever uniforms and equipment were available and best suited to the environment. Although vast numbers of Palestinian combatants have simply worn regular civilian clothing in order to better blend in with their local environments, some factions and individual units have adopted military camouflage clothing for operational and impressionistic purposes. Students of the conflicts in Israel and Lebanon as well as the PLO itself have attempted to document the usage of insignia and uniforms whenever possible. Nevertheless, the tremendous variety of supplies and war materiel available over more than 40 years of fighting make a complete inventory impossible.

Camouflage Patterns of Palestinian Military Forces

• Early units of the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) as well as early PLO (PLFP) units wore Egyptian-made reversible rocks/sand camouflage pattern uniforms from the 1960s to 1970s.

• Copies of the French lizard pattern were also worn by the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) during the 1970s. Although at least one source claims these were made in East Germany it seems more likely they were produced in Syria.

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