The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is an indigenous revolutionary movement borne out of the unification of several Marxist and pan-Arabic groups. Since its founding in 1967, it has engaged in steadfast struggle against Zionism, imperialism, and the global forces of reaction. 

While the PFLP’s protracted guerrilla war against world imperialism, Zionist settler-colonialism, and global capitalism has led it to actions that may not sit well with us in the imperial core—such as aircraft hijackings in the 60s and 70s and suicide attacks during the Second Intifada—their analysis of the facts on the ground remains crucial, as does their role in the movement for Palestinian liberation.

Besides, from Haiti to Algeria to South Africa, groups we now celebrate as central to the project of global liberation committed actions that might be classified acts of terrorism or atrocities today. We do not need to condone those specific actions to recognize the justice of the overall struggle for liberation and the contributions made to it by groups like the PFLP all over the world.

The PFLP’s seminal program, “Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine,” was published in 1969, only two years after the group was founded. The analysis laid out within the program has only become more prescient in the fifty-five years since its original publication, even if many of the particulars are outdated. The revolutionary framework laid out in it allows to develop us a clear perspective on what pursuing the liberation of Palestine truly demands.

In hopes of providing guidance for our relationship to Palestinian liberation and the forces fighting on the ground for that liberation, we have selected a series of selections from the PFLP’s program. You can find a link to the full text at the bottom. And, remember: Palestine will be free.

To assure ourselves of the success of the struggle, it is not sufficient for us to take up arms. Some armed revolutions in history have ended in victory, but others have ended in failure. It is incumbent upon us to face the facts with a frank, courageous and revolutionary scientific mentality. A clear perspective of things and of the real forces taking part in the struggle leads to success, while impetuosity and spontaneity lead to failure.  p. 23-24

Imperialism finds itself in the best position in [the Arab] world, because through Israel it is able to fight the Arab revolutionary movement, which aims at eliminating it from our homeland with Israel becoming the force and the base used by imperialism to protect its presence and defend its interests in our land.  p. 33

National liberation battles are also class battles. They are battles between colonialism and the feudal and capitalist class whose interests are linked with those of the colonialist on the one hand, and the other classes of the people representing the greater part of the nation on the other.  p. 44

The revolutionary classes on the Palestinian field are the workers and peasants because it is these classes that are daily suffering the oppressive exploitation process exercised by world imperialism and its allies in our homeland.  p. 46

Since our battle against Israel is at the same time a battle against imperialism, the Palestinian bourgeoisie will stand by its own interests, that is, with imperialism against the revolution.  p. 57

Any strategic thinking about the Palestinian liberation struggle must cover the mobilization of all forces of the revolution on the Arab and world levels, because it is only through such mobilization and concentration that we can create the power capable of confronting Israel, Zionism, world imperialism and Arab reaction.  p. 66

The alliance of the Palestinian and Arab national liberation movement with the liberation movement in Vietnam, the revolutionary situation in Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the national liberation movements in Asia, Africa, and Latin America is the only way to create the camp that is capable of facing and triumphing over the imperialist camp.  p. 91

The technological and military superiority of imperialism is faced by weak peoples with guerrilla warfare and popular liberation wars.  p. 97

“Revolutionary theory,” “strongly organized party,” “leadership of the workers and peasants,” “wide, determined, united national front,” people’s liberation war and long term resistance”—these are the political strategic headlines of national liberation movements and democratic national revolution in the present age of imperialism.  p. 100

Israel has insisted on portraying our war against it as a racial war aiming at eliminating every Jewish citizen and throwing him into the sea. The purpose behind this is to mobilize all Jews for a life-or-death struggle. Consequently, a basic strategic line in our war with Israel must aim at unveiling this representation, addressing the exploited and misled Jewish masses and revealing these masses’ interest in living peacefully and the interests of the Zionist movement and the forces controlling the state of Israel.  p. 103

The masses of our people will not define their position with regard to scientific socialist thought in light of  a purely theoretical judgement of this thought. Their position will be defined in light of the tangible results produced by this thought with regard to the fight against their enemies and exploiters. When this thought succeeds in converting the Palestinian and Arab field into a rising popular liberation war arena that will shake the Israeli-Zionist imperialist-reactionary presence in our homeland, as is taking place in Vietnam. these masses will realize that this theory was their most powerful weapon in their fight against their enemies.  p. 117

The aims of the revolution include equality, human dignity, cooperatization and human comradely relations, and the organization that prepares itself for the leadership of the revolution is expected to embody this picture.  p. 123

There is no way of building a Palestinian national movement for the masses except through fighting and the masses’ awareness that the demand for organization, mobilization and political activity aims at escalation of the fighting—their only road to victory.  p. 133

The rest of “Strategy for the Liberation of Palestine can be read here: https://foreignlanguages.press/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/S08-PFLP-Strategy-Lib-Palestine-7th-Printing.pdf

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.