Feb 20, 2023
Armed Struggle Remains
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) poster
Artist: Salim Kh
Published: 1989
seen from Russia
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Netherlands
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Argentina
seen from Poland
seen from United States
seen from Netherlands
seen from Malaysia
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Austria
seen from United States
Armed Struggle Remains
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) poster
Artist: Salim Kh
Published: 1989
PFLP-GC poster
Can you run-down the difference between PFLP and PFLP-GC?
The PFLP was formed in 1967 by the merging of three separate groups. One of these three groups was the Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF), a Palestinian nationalist resistance movement founded by Ahmad Jibril.
Around one year after merging to form PFLP, Jibril took those loyal to him and formed a splinter group, the PFLP-GC (General Command). He believed that the PFLP spent too much time playing politics and waxing philosophical and not enough time carrying out attacks and fighting Israel. He argued that the PFLP was more of an organization of the “Palestinian elite” and intellectuals who’d rather read and discuss Marx in their lofty homes than actively carry out an armed struggle against Israel.
Almost immediately, Jibril began his attacks against Israel. For a time, he’d carried out similar attacks while part of the PFLP, using their name, but these operations were apparently conducted on his own - independent of the rest of the organization’s leadership, which led to friction and his eventual departure.
The PFLP was/are a group with a clear, stated objective, a clear political philosophy, and a vision for an eventual solution.
With the PFLP-GC...that’s not the case. Though they follow a loose set of ideals, they were more about direct, immediate action. The PFLP-GC appealed to some of the most disenfranchised Palestinians who didn’t care much for politics or a clear end-goal beyond striking back at Israel, with Jibril training them to be capable fighters with one goal in mind - guerrilla attacks against Israel.
Jibril doesn’t care for politics or imagery, and focuses instead on attacks against Israel.
And that’s the biggest difference between the two - PFLP have for years attempted to enter the political fray and establish themselves internationally - while PFLP-GC views such a desire as a disgrace, preferring instead to focus all energy on coordinating attacks.
The PLF was itself heavily backed by Syria, and that backing transferred to the PFLP when the groups merged. When Jibril splintered to form the PFLP-GC, he maintained close ties with the Syrian government - ties that over time led many to question his allegiances, causing friction and splintering within his organization. Some opponents and former soldiers of his began likening him more to right-wing/reactionary leaders than the leftists he once associated with.
PFLP-GC opposed Arafat, opposed the PLO, and opposed any organizations that sought a solution through political means, going so far as to vocally berate Palestinians who supported Arafat & the PLO.
The PFLP-GC waned over the years, as have most Palestinian factions, but remained somewhat active within Syria. Recently, they fought alongside Assad’s forced against Palestinians in the Yarmouk refugee camp in a battle that was the last straw for many still loyal to Jibril and the PFLP-GC.
Many who had remained with the PFLP-GC up to this point defected following this battle in Yarmouk, having lost faith in their leadership and questioning why they as Palestinians were actively engaged in warfare against rebels defending Palestinian refugees.
“One of his fighters, who gave a pseudonym, Abu Jihad, said he and dozens of others had joined the rebels on Sunday. He said they had been manning checkpoints ostensibly to protect the camps, but had been asked to fight rebels instead.
“I felt that we became soldiers for the Assad regime, not guards for the camps, so I decided to defect,” he said, adding that security forces stood by and watched as they fought the rebels, without supporting them.
“I felt that the regime doesn’t care about us,” he said. “Now I am fighting with the right side. We were hosted by the Syrian people, not the Assad regime, when we came to this country in 1948, and we should reward this favor.””
New York Times
Since the Battle of Yarmouk, the group has been in relative shambles with fractured leadership, with Jibril having fled Syria.
This was kinda shotgunned but I hope I managed to answer your question. If not, or if you were interested in something more specific, let me know!
Struggle-Return-Liberation
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) poster
Artist: Unknown
Circa 1968
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command (PFLP-GC) Jihad Jibril Brigades is the military wing of the PFLP-GC
Notable for the "Night of the Gliders” when a PFLP-GC guerrilla used a hang glider to land in southern Palestine and kill six israeli soldiers. Palestinians adopted the guerrilla as a national hero and began taunting Israeli troops, crying "six to one", and the writing "6:1" it appeared on walls in Gaza and the West Bank.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command (PFLP-GC) Jihad Jibril Brigades is the military wing of the PFLP-GC
The PFLP-GC has fought on the side of the Syrian Government. They were the defenders of the Al Yarmouk camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in the world. They first fought against against al Nusra and various rebel groups and later the Islamic State. Yarmouk was liberated during the Southern Damascus offensive (April–May 2018) during which Palestinians played a spearhead role.
When the news of Russian help extended to Netanyahu to win the elections went as far as extracting the remains of an IDF terrorist killed in Lebanon and
When the news of Russian help extended to Netanyahu to win the elections went as far as extracting the remains of an IDF terrorist killed in Lebanon and
How the FSA Caused the Yarmouk palestinians refugees to flee. The Free syrian army is a western backed terrorist group which at the begining of the War Infiltrated the camp and started to attack civilians and destroy their home in order to use it as military bases. As a result refugees began to flee People ask me then why it got shelled by the Syrian Government ? This is because the terrorists are WITHIN the camp and it has almost no civilians now. The syrian gov don't care about the buildings they can rebuild everything. Why should they waste Soldiers ? Anyways, The PFLP-GC was inside the camp the WHOLE TIME. Its offices were there the whole time so if they would've really want to destroy yarmouk. They would've done it long time ago. Obviously this is not the case and it is wahabists that started all this conflict. Im kinda Hoping this gets shared as Im seeing palestinians supporting Islamism and Wahabism. It is a big shame indeed but just because youre palestinian, this does not make you a good person.