Draft:Arab Left

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The Arab Left, not to be confused with specifically Arab socialism, consists of Arabs who identify with, or is engaged with, left-wing or left-liberal causes and ideology through political organizations or as specifically individuals. The Arab left has been realized in numerous organizations throughout, particularly, the Middle East and North Africa. Arabs have had partial interaction with Marxism^[1], but the Arab left has consistently been in opposition to imperialism and in support of social justice.^[2]

The Arab left first emerged as a consequence to the Nahda, with the writing of Leg Over Leg by Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq, which consisted of al-Shidyaq's views on religious authorities corruption, secularism, freedom of conscience, sexual relationship, and women's rights.^[3] However, the Arab left wouldn't make a full emergence until the establishment of the Syrian–Lebanese Communist Party in 1924, which, eventual key figure in the rise of Ba'athism, Michael Aflaq was disdained with by it being, per his own thoughts, a tool of the Soviet Union.^[4]

In 1940, Michael Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Batar would establish the Arab Ihya Movement, later the Arab Ba'ath Movement, with their spare time being used for agitation of the Ba'ath movement, mostly by supporting the pro-Axis Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq, concurrently engaged in the Anglo-Iraqi War by sending weaponry to the Iraqi forces.^[5] Other individuals, such as Zaki al-Arsuzi and Wahib al-Ghanim, would have a heavy influence in the development of Ba'athism.^[6]

In 1952, a revolution led by Mohamed Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser would signify the end of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.^[7] Despite the success of the revolution, disputes between Naguib and Nasser would begin to arise.^[8] With this, Nasser resolved to depose Naguib,^[9] leading to his eventual forced resignation.^[10]

On July 26, 1956, Nasser would announce the nationalization of the Suez Canal in response to the American proposal to resolving the Arab–Israeli conflict.^[11] This action would eventually lead to the Suez Crisis and the closure of the Suez Canal.

In 1957, a set of severe engagements between the United States, Turkey, and the Baghdad Pact and Syria, the USSR, and Egypt, resulting in Turkey ceasing its border operations on the Syria–Turkey border.^[12] However, this would also reinforce already present pan-Arabist efforts in Syria.^[13] On February 21, 1958, a plebiscite was held, which confirmed and made official the merger between Egypt and Syria, creating the United Arab Republic.^[14]

On November 1, 1954, the National Liberation Front would declare the start of the Algerian Revolution. In their manifesto, their goals consisted of the liquidation of systemic colonial assets, the achievement of north African unity, and popular struggle through revolutionary means.^[15] The success of the National Liberation Front would mark the end of the French colonial empire.^[16]

The Fatah movement was established in 1959 by founders Salah Khalaf, Yasser Arafat, and Khalil al-Wazir along with other Palestinian diaspora,^[17] of which said diaspora emerged due to the Nakba.^[18] Salah Khalaf and Khalil al-Wazir were initially members of the Muslim Brotherhood, whilst Yasser Arafat was the previous head of the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) at Cairo University.^[19]

In 1963, Syrian Ba'athists would overthrow Nazim al-Qudsi in the midst of the March 8 Revolution.^[20] The Ba'ath Party would monopolize power in Syria, establishing a one-party state and enforcing Ba'athist ideology.^[21]

In 1963, the National Liberation Front and FLOSY would stage a rebellion against the United Kingdom, with the rebellion lasting until November 30,1967, where the British would enact a withdrawal from Aden due to the untenable nature of retaking Yemen.^[22] Immediately afterwards, South Yemen would be established as a one-party Marxist-Leninist state. Two conflicts between North and South Yemen in 1972 and 1979 would occur in the time preluding the South Yemen civil war.^[23]

As a result of ideological and political differences between Abdul Fattah Ismail and Ali Nasir Muhammad, with their factions referred to as al-Toghmah and al-Zomrah, a civil conflict within South Yemen would occur.^[24] The civil war would cease with the defeat of Ali Nasir Muhammad, the death of al-Toghmah, the assumption of power by Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, and the eventual unification of Yemen. However, Ali Salem al Beidh, the vice-president of Yemen from 1990 to 1994, would declare another civil war on the matters of restoring South Yemen. The attempt would fail, being thwarted by Yemen and Jihadists, supported by the United States.^[25]

On September 1, 1969, the Free Officers Movement of Libya, led by Muammar Gaddafi, Abdessalam Jalloud, and Umar Muhayshi would overthrow and abolish the Libyan monarchy.^[26] In the immediate aftermath, the Libyan Arab Republic under Muammar Gaddafi's rule would begin with the motto "freedom, socialism and unity",^[27] similar to Yemen's motto.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization, or PLO, was established following the 1964 Arab League summit.^[28] The Palestinian National Council convened on May 28, 1964, at Jerusalem, stating their goals subsequently thereafter as an organization valuing Arab unity, Palestinian nationalism, and popular resistance.^[29]

Shortly following the Six-Day War, which ended in a military and strategic victory for Israel, the PLO, along with Egypt (supported by the USSR), Kuwait, Jordan, and Syria (supported by Cuba) would engage in the War of Attrition lasting from 1967 to 1970.^[30] On September 28, 1970, Gamal Abdel Nasser would die of a heart attack, being succeeded by Anwar Sadat.^[31]

On September 6, 1970, 22 days before the end of the War of Attrition, tensions between the PLO (containing Fatah, the PFLP, and the DFLP) and Jordan, caused by aircraft hijackings and the falling apart of the seven-point agreement between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the PLO led to the Black September, or Jordanian Civil War.^[32] The PLO would be supported by Syria up until November of 1970, where Hafez al-Assad would overthrow Salah Jadid.^[33] The subsequent events arising from the PLO's conflict with Jordan led to Palestinian refugees in Jordan to flee to Lebanon, along with the PLO's insurgency.^[34]

After the 1972 Munich massacre, IDF special forces, led by Emmanuel Shaked, would conduct a raid into Lebanon with it successfully killing Kamal Adwan, Muhammad Youssef al-Najjar, along with 100+ other militants.^[35] Following the raid, the PLO, particularly Fatah, would alter its philosophy, valuing political dialogue with Israel, as outlined in Arafat's ten-point program. This would lead to a split in the PLO between those who accepted the ten-point program and those who didn't, the latter being referred to as 'Rejectionists'.^[36] Said Rejectionists would go on to conduct the Kiryat Shmona massacre and the Ma'alot massacre.^[37]

On December 6, 1975, the Phalange would conduct an anti-Palestinian massacre, killing 200+ individuals as a revenge operation for the earlier killing of a Phalangists' son.^[38] This incident would be the starting point for the Lebanese Civil War.^[39] A similar massacre would occur in the Karantina district of Beirut by the Phalangists' and Tigers Militia, killing up to 1,500 Palestinians.^[40] In 1976, Syria would intervene in the Lebanese Civil War, supported by the Amal Movement and PNSF.^[41]

On March 11, 1978, the PLO would hijack a bus filled with Israeli citizens, including 13 children. All individuals were killed in the Coastal Road massacre. In response, Israel launched Operation Litani, leading to the withdrawal of Palestinians from southern Lebanon.^[42]

In 1982, Israel launched their invasion of Lebanon specifically against the PLO in response to a reported 270 attacks on Israel by the PLO.^[43] In the aftermath of the invasion of Lebanon, the PLO would relocate to Tunisia, but they would have their Tunis headquarters bombed by the Israeli Air Force.^[44]

From October 30 to November 1, 1991, a peace conference held by Spain in Madrid, co-sponsored by the United States and Soviet Union, would be the initial root in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process.^[45] In August 1993, PLO and Israel delegates, overseen by Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat, and Bill Clinton would complete negotiations between one another, which details of the Oslo I Accord, officially the Declaration of Principles, would be signed by all participating parties on September 13, 1993.^[46] On September 24, 1995, the Oslo II Accord was signed in Taba, but only signed by Rabin and Arafat on the 28th.^[47] However, a series of unfortunate events, being the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin on November 4,1995, the failure of the Camp David Summit, the Second Intifada, and the death of Yasser Arafat by natural causes would reset the peace negotiations.^[48][49]

In the early 2010s, across numerous countries in the Arab World, a set of anti-authoritarian protests, uprisings, and rebellions would occur. It would first start in Tunisia resulting in the overthrow of the Ben Ali government, resignation of Mohamed Ghannouchi, the dissolution of the RCD, and democratic elections in 2011.^[50] Similar revolutions and rebellions would occur in Libya, which would result in the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi and factional violence in Libya,^[51] Egypt, which would result in the resignation of Hosni Mubarak and the end of the Nasserist government that existed since 1952,^[52] Syria, which didn't result in the overthrow of the Syrian Ba'athist government, but rather a full-scale civil war in Syria due the revolution's failure,^[53] Bahrain, which also met failure by the protestors,^[54] and Saudi Arabia, which like Syria and Bahrain, also put down their protestors.^[55]

In 2017, due to the arrest of human rights activist Nasser Zefzafi, and poor economic conditions in Morocco, anti-government protests, referred to as the Hogra, would be carried out. The protests would be put down, but it'd be the spark for more protests following it.^[56] Following protests would occur in, but not limited to, Jordan, where more than 30 trade unions went on a general strike,^[57] Tunisia, where protests would occur due to the cost of living and the self-immolation of a journalist,^[58] Egypt, due to political repression of the El-Sisi government and corruption,^[59] the Gaza Strip, for the purpose of reducing tax rates,^[60] and Sudan, caused by economic mismanagement by the government and government authoritarianism.^[61]

• Arab socialism
• Pan-Arabism
• Ba'athism
• Islam and democracy