Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why did Fatah bases in Jordan lead to conflict with King Hussein?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), wearing the keffiyeh, 1996.
The conflict between King Hussein of Jordan and the Fatah bases in Jordan arose primarily because the presence of Palestinian guerrillas, or fedayeen, undermined the king's authority and threatened the stability of his kingdom.12
Several key factors fueled this tension:
- Instability and Reprisals: Fatah and other PLO factions used Jordan as a base to launch guerrilla attacks against Israel. These operations provoked significant Israeli military reprisals, which caused damage within Jordan and destabilized the country.32
- Challenge to Sovereignty: Under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, the PLO openly challenged King Hussein’s control over East Jordan, effectively operating as an independent power within the state.1
- Political Divergence: While the king sought to preserve his throne and occasionally engaged in secret negotiations regarding the West Bank, the militant Palestinian groups rejected such diplomacy, viewing the liberation of Palestine as their exclusive responsibility.14
These tensions culminated in the September 1970 civil war, known as Black September, after which King Hussein forcibly expelled the PLO from Jordan by 1971.132