The First Intifada
In 1987, the population of the Gaza Strip and West Bank rose up against the Israeli military occupation in a massive show of popular resistance. Unarmed, Palestinian bravery in the face of the ruthless Israeli response swung world public opinion appreciably in their favour and forced then Israeli defence minister, Yitzhak Rabin – who had previously ordered his men to “break their bones” – into acceding that you “cannot win a war against women and children.”
The first intifada was a popular uprising. Popular committees linked to the political factions of the PLO mobilised the grassroots and sustained the resistance to the Israeli occupation.