Khalil Al-Wazir (October 10, 1935–April 16, 1988), better known by the kunya "Abu Jihad" (Arabic: father of the struggle) and "Al-Wazir" (the top minister), was a founder of the Palestinian group Fatah (which later formed the dominant part of the PLO), and later a top aide to Yassir Arafat and a guerrilla leader. Al-Wazir played an important role in the 1970-71 Black September clashes in Jordan, and was the mastermind behind several high-profile militant operations against Israel during the 1970s. He was assassinated in Tunis in 1988, his killers have never been confirmed. The Israeli government considered him to be a high-ranking terrorist, Arafat's second in command. US condemned his murder as "act of political assassination". October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A kunya is an Arabic honorific. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic Munazzamat al-Tahrir Filastiniyyah منظمة تحرير فلسطينية ) is a political and paramilitary organization of Palestinian Arabs dedicated to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state to consist of the... Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Muhammad `Abd ar-Rauf al-Qudwa al-Husayni (Arabic محمد عبد الرؤوف القدوة الحسي&#1606... Guerilla may refer to Guerrilla warfare. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties Estimated 5,000 killed This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September, 1970 in Jordan. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for ones own pleasure, save for environmentalism, which continued in a very visible way. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Early life

Born in Ramla, Al-Wazir became a Palestinian refugee in the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. He settled in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, where he completed his secondary education. In 1954 Egyptian authorities began to suspect that he was planning and executing violent acts against Israelis. He was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, for which he was briefly imprisoned by the Egyptian authorities. Al-Wazir received his military training in Cairo while attending classes at the University of Alexandria in 1956 but he never graduated. In 1959 he found work as a teacher in Kuwait and remained there until 1963. Ramla (Hebrew רמלה Ramlāh; Arabic الرملة ar-Ramlah, colloquial Ramleh), is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. ... In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Palestinian refugee is a refugee from Palestine created by the Palestinian Exodus, which Palestinians call the Nakba (Arabic: ‎, meaning disaster or catastrophe). The United Nations definition of a Palestinian refugee is a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine between June 1946 and... Combatants  Israel Egypt, Syria, Transjordan,  Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Holy War Army, Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin Glubb Pasha, Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, Hasan Salama, Fawzi Al-Qawuqji Strength  Israel: 29,677 initially rising to 115,000 by March 1949 Egypt: 10,000 initially rising... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Muslim Brotherhood or The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimÅ«n, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان al-ikhwān, the Brotherhood or MB) is a world-wide Sunni Islamist movement founded by the sufi schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. ... Nickname: Egypt: Site of Cairo (top center) Coordinates: Government  - Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area  - City 214 km²  (82. ... Alexandria (Greek: , Coptic: , Arabic: , Egyptian Arabic: Iskindireyya), (population of 3. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...

Fatah activity

1960s

Al-Wazir's stay in Kuwait put him in touch with comrades with whom he later founded the Fatah movement, becoming Fatah's deputy leader (following Yasser Arafat). Al-Wazir settled in Algeria in 1963, where he opened a Fatah office and military training camp. Since then, he was one of the early full-time (Mutafarrigh) members of Fatah. Al-Wazir was also one of the founding editors of Filastinuna, the official organ of Fatah. He was in charge of the recruitment and training of Fatah fighters, creating the nucleus of the fighting force of Fatah, later known as Al-Asifa (The Storm). Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... Not to be confused with Yasir Arafat (cricketer). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ... Fatah (Arabic: ); a reverse acronym from the Arabic name Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini (literally: Palestinian National Liberation Movement) is a major secular Palestinian political party and the largest organization in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a generally secular multi-party confederation. ...

Al-Wazir cultivated ties with military leaders in socialist countries. He visited the People's Republic of China in 1964 and later preached "a people's liberation war," although he never supported communism as an ideology. In fact, his political sympathies lay with the conservative Muslim Brotherhood, which he had encountered in Gaza. Nevertheless, he also visited North Vietnam and North Korea, where Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) information brochures claim he received advanced military education, but which other sources dispute. Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... The Muslim Brotherhood or The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimÅ«n, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان al-ikhwān, the Brotherhood or MB) is a world-wide Sunni Islamist movement founded by the sufi schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. ... The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN), or less commonly, Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Vietnamese: Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cá»™ng Hòa), also known as North Vietnam, was proclaimed by Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, September 2nd1945 and was recognized by the Peoples Republic of China and the... The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Arabic: ‎;   or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary organization regarded by the Arab League since October 1974 as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. ...

In 1965, Abu Jihad settled in Damascus, Syria, taking advantage of the Syrian Ba'thist regime's support of the doctrine of people's liberation war. He became the major link between underground cells inside Israel and the Palestinian national movement. The 1967 Arab defeat in the Six-Day War propelled him into a key leadership position with the PLO and Fatah, made possible by his reputation as an expert on people's liberation war, considered the only way to defeat Israel at the time. He assumed major responsibilities in the Central Committee of Fatah, in the command of the forces of al-Asifa, on the Palestinian National Council, and on the Supreme Military Council of the PLO. He was also put in charge of commando (guerrilla warfare) operations in the Occupied Territories and inside Israel. 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Damascus ( transliteration: , also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the largest city of Syria and is also the capital. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a radical, left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Combatants Israel Egypt Syria Jordan Iraq Commanders Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkiss, Israel Tal, Mordechai Hod, Ariel Sharon Abdel Hakim Amer, Abdul Munim Riad, Zaid ibn Shaker, Hafez al-Assad Strength 264,000 (incl. ... The Palestinian National Council (PNC) is the parliament in exile of the Palestinian people. ... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Golan Heights plateau overlooking the site of the ancient city of Hippos The Israeli-occupied territories is one of a number of terms used to describe areas captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967. ...

1970s

Abu Jihad played an important military role in Jordan in 1970-1971 during the Black September clashes, He also supplied the encircled Palestinian forces in Jerash and Ajlun. Then, like other PLO leaders, he relocated to Beirut, Lebanon, and kept a low profile. When the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975, he voiced his support and helped increase the forces of PLO's Lebanese allies. Meanwhile, his main interest remained with the Occupied Territories; more than any other person inside the PLO and Fatah, Abu Jihad is credited with the development of underground cells in the West Bank and Gaza Strip despite Israeli counter-attempts. It is believed that Al-Wazir's contacts with socialist countries helped him to augment the military power of the PLO. The resulting arms acquisition changed the PLO's fighting forces into a conventional army, rather than the "people's liberation forces" on which he had earlier insisted. Nevertheless, Abu Jihad remained close to his fighters; avoiding the lure of Beirut, he established his headquarters in Kayfun, near Alayh in Mount Lebanon. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Combatants PLO Jordan Commanders Yasser Arafat King Hussein Casualties Estimated 5,000 killed This article, Black September in Jordan, describes the events surrounding September, 1970 in Jordan. ... The oval Forum of Roman Jerash, and the South end of the Cardo Map of the Decapolis showing location of Gerasa (Jerash) // Jerash is the capital of Jerash Governorate (محافظة جرش) in Kingdom of Jordan. ... Ajlun castle Ajlun (alternative spelling Ajloun) is a hill town in the north of Jordan with an impressive 12th century castle. ... For other uses, see Beirut (disambiguation). ... Combatants Lebanese Front Syria LNM PLO Commanders Bachir Gemayel Dany Chamoun Kamal Jumblatt Yasser Arafat The multi-sided Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) had its origin in the conflicts and political compromises after the end of Lebanons administration by the Ottoman Empire and was exacerbated by the nations... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... For other uses, see Mount Lebanon (disambiguation). ...

Unlike other PLO leaders, Abu Jihad did not allow the Lebanese environment to discredit his role within the movement; he was never tainted by the massive corruption and thuggery that swept the ranks of PLO officials. Although he was less visible than most of his comrades, he commanded the respect and loyalty of most Palestinians, including members of rival organizations. His close relationship with Yasir Arafat was greatly to Arafat's benefit, since Arafat was being constantly challenged from within over his search for a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian problem: Abu Jihad provided the "revolutionary" cover that Arafat needed to continue his diplomatic pursuits.

It was during his stay in Lebanon during the 1970s when Al-Wazir was responsible for the high-profile operations which became associated with his name. He was allegedly the mastermind behind the Savoy Operation in 1975, and Dalal Mughrabi's attack on a bus (Coastal Road massacre) in March 1978. The Savoy Operation was a terrorist act masterminded by Abu Jihad On the night of March 4th, 1975, at 11:00 PM eight terrorists in two teams landed by boat on the Tel-Aviv beach. ... Ehud Barak standing over the body of Dalal Mughrabi. ... Charred remains of the hijacked bus Front end remains of the hijacked bus The Coastal Road Massacre is the name by which a Palestinian terrorist attack on an Israeli coastal-road bus is known. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

1980s

Abu Jihad did not distinguish himself in the 1982 Israeli Invasion of Lebanon, in which top PLO leaders retreated in the face of massive Israeli force. The invasion forced Al-Wazir, along with other PLO leaders, to relocate farther away from the Palestinian territories, this time in Tunisia. The war seemed to change Al-Wazir's political and military philosophy; apparently, he lost faith in the PLO's ability to deliver a solution to the Palestinians from outside the Occupied Territories. Instead, he believed in the power of the masses in the West Bank and Gaza. In 1982, he began to sponsor youth committees in the Occupied Territories, committees that became the embryonic organization that later ignited the First Intifada in December 1987. However, Abu Jihad did not live long enough to see that uprising; he was assassinated in April 1988. 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Israel Phalange South Lebanon Army Amal PLO Syria Commanders Menachem Begin (Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon, (Ministry of Defence) Rafael Eitan, (CoS) Yasser Arafat Strength 76,000 37,000 Casualties 670 9,800 The 1982 Lebanon War (Hebrew: , Milkhemet Levanon, Milkhemet Levanon, Arabic: ‎), called by Israel the Operation Peace of... The First Intifada, or Palestinian uprising refers to a series of violent incidents between Palestinians and Israelis between 1987 and approximately 1990. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Assassination

Main article: Tunis Raid

Al-Wazir was assassinated at close range in his home along at 2 a.m. on April 16, 1988. His wife and children, were present during the assassination. Abu Jihad is widely believed to have been assassinated by an Israeli commando team (consisting of units from Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Matkal) reportedly ferried from Israel by boat, aided ashore by Mossad agents and led by Moshe Ya'alon, who later became the IDF's Chief of Staff. While this has never been officially acknowledged by Israeli officials, it was unofficially alluded-to by many. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Abu_Jihad#Assassination. ... April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sayeret (Hebrew סיירת, pl. ... Shayetet 13 ( שייטת 13 ) is the Israeli naval commando elite special forces unit. ... Sayeret Matkal - logo Sayeret Matkal (Hebrew: סיירת מטכל - General Staff Reconnaissance unit) is the elite special forces unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). ...   (Hebrew: המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations), often referred to as The Mossad (meaning The Institute), is Israels intelligence agency and is responsible for intelligence collection, counter-terrorism, covert operations such as paramilitary activities, and the facilitation of aliyah where it is banned. ... General Moshe Yaalon, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (2002-2005) Lieutenant-General Moshe Yaalon (often nicknamed Boogie) (born 1950) was the 17th Chief of Staff (רמטכל) of the Israeli Defence Force. ... The Israel Defense Forces are part of the Israeli Security Forces. ...

In 1997 a revelation came in a Maariv newspaper report on the execution of Khalil al-Wazir, who Israel believes coordinated the start of the 1987-93 Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza Strip from PLO headquarters in Tunis. The report claimed that Ehud Barak led a seaborne command center that oversaw the 1988 assassination of Abu Jihad. Ehud Barak (Hebrew: אֵהוּד בָּרָק) (born Ehud Brog on February 12, 1942, in Mishmar HaSharon kibbutz,[1] then British Mandate of Palestine) is an Israeli politician and was the 10th Prime Minister of Israel from 1999 to 2001. ...

Israel has never taken responsibility for the killing of Abu Jihad. Government spokesman Moshe Fogel and aides to Barak declined comment.

The paper said Barak, who was then deputy military chief, coordinated the planning by the Mossad, the army's intelligence branch; the air force; navy; and elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit. Barak ran the assassination operation from a command center on a navy missile boat off the shore of Tunis, Maariv said.

Maariv said Mossad intelligence agents watched al-Wazir's home for months before the April 15, 1988, raid in which an Israeli officer shot the PLO official at his home.

Legacy

Abu Jihad is greatly admired throughout the Arab and Islamic world, where his name has become synonymous with struggles against oppression and freedom fighting. He was survived by three sons: Jihad, Bassem and Nidal, and two daughters: Iman and Hanan. Abu Jihad was married to his cousin, Intissar Al-Wazir (kunya: Umm Jihad, mother of the struggle), who returned to Gaza following the Oslo Accords and in 1996 became the first female minister in the Palestinian National Authority. Yitzhak Rabin, Bill Clinton, and Yasser Arafat during the Oslo Accords on September 13, 1993. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Anthem: Biladi Capital Ramallah and Gaza de facto, as the current location of government institutions. ...

The Israel government and most of the Israeli public, on the other hand, would likely consider Abu Jihad a dangerous terrorist and a murderer for his role in fatal attacks on Israeli civilians, and his role in igniting the first intifada against the Israelis. Intifada (also Intefadah or Intifadah; from shaking off) is an Arabic term for uprising or more commonly shaking off of filth. It came into common usage in English as the popularized name for two recent Palestinian campaigns directed at Israel. ...

Abu Jihad is mentioned in Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series of novels. These novels are about the adventures of an art restorer and occasional assassin for Mossad. In the novels, it is mentioned that Gabriel Allon killed Abu Jihad.

Family life

He was married to Intisar al-Wazir, who became an important Palestinian politician in her own right. Intisar Mustafa Mahmud al-Wazir (b. ...

References

• Al-Wazir, Khalil Ibrahim, “Palestinian Biography”
• "Encyclopedia Of The Palestinians: Biography of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad)" BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Amos, John. Palestinian Resistance. New York: pergamon Press, 1980. ISBN 0-08-025094-7
• Cobban, Helena. The Palestinian Liberation Organization. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984. ISBN 0-521-27216-5
• Hart, Alan. Arafat. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-253-20516-6
• Yusuf, Samir. Abu Jihad. Cairo: al-Markaz al-Misri al-Arabi, 1989.
• Britannica Encyclopedia, Ehud Barak