Dalal Mughrabi

Dalal Mughrabi

Dalal Mughrabi (Arabic: دلال المغربي‎, Dalāl al-Muɣrabī; ca. 1959 – March 11, 1978) was a Palestinian militant who was a member of the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and directed the 1978 Coastal Road massacre in Israel. The attack resulted in the death of 37 Israeli citizens, including 13 children, and one American photographer.^[1] Mughrabi and nine or ten other militants were also killed in the course of the operation.^[2][3] She has been hailed as a martyr and a national hero among Palestinians,^[4][5] while in Israel she is a figure reviled as a terrorist.^[1]

Early life

Mughrabi was born and raised in the Palestinian refugee camp of Sabra in Beirut, Lebanon.^[6] Her father's family home prior to the 1948 Palestine war was in Jaffa, Palestine. Her mother was Lebanese.

Originally educated as a nurse, Dalal Mughrabi decided to devote her life to politics when the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975. She joined Fatah and began working within the organization's communications service. She took part in the fighting against the Syrian army in the mountains southeast of Beirut when Syrian forces entered Lebanon in 1976 to assist the Phalangists and their allies. In 1977 she completed a three-month training course attaining her the rank of lieutenant. She was offered a post in Italy by Fatah as political officer working at the PLO office, but she declined choosing instead a military career.^[7]

Rashida al-Mughrabi, interviewed about her sister's participation in the attack, said:

I have no regrets about what my sister did. The Israelis are the ones who forced her to carry out the attack because they expelled us and stole our lands. They caused us a great injustice by turning us into a nation of refugees, and, if it weren't for the occupation, Dalal would never have carried out the attack. Maybe she would have raised a family and pursued a career.^[8]

Coastal Road massacre

Front end remains of the hijacked bus

Main article: Coastal Road massacre

On the morning of March 11, 1978, Mughrabi and a group of between 11 and 13 Palestinian and Lebanese militants arrived on the coastal plain near Tel Aviv from Lebanon in rubber dinghies.^[3][6] According to The Guardian, Mughrabi lead the group, which included one more woman. According to Khaled Abu Asba, one of the two perpetrators who survived, Mughrabi did not lead the team and was the only woman.^[9] The timing was aimed at scuttling peace talks between Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat.^[10] Time reported that the attackers' intent was to "kill as many Israelis as possible."^[10] According to Hugh MacLeod, their goal was to attack the ministry of defence in Tel Aviv.^[3] Dalal's sister Rashida said, "The objective was not to kill civilians, but to reach the Knesset and demand the release of Palestinian prisoners."^[8]

The first casualty of the operation was an American photographer named Gail Rubin,^[11] whom Abu Absa says was killed by Mughrabi because the militants feared she would inform authorities of their presence.^[9] According to Time, the militants opened fire at passing traffic and hijacked a taxi, killing its occupants.^[10] The militants then seized a bus and proceeded along the coastal highway to Tel Aviv.^[9][10] While driving south, the hijackers seized another bus, and moved the hostages (now numbering 71) to the first bus.^[10] Both hijacked buses were filled with militants and sightseers.^[10] Abu Absa says that at every intersection where police set up roadblocks to stop the bus, there was an exchange of fire, but that the militants "never shot the hostages."^[9]

Israeli forces stopped the bus, and a 9 to 15-hour shooting battle ensued before the bus exploded.^[3][10][11] During the shootout, according to MacLeod, Mughrabi raised the Palestinian flag and declared the establishment of a Palestinian state.^[3] Israel says the bus exploded after Mughrabi blew it up with a grenade, while Palestinians say it was struck by fire from an Israeli helicopter gunship, though reports said the bus was stopped by some 30 traffic police armed with .38 revolvers and Uzi sub-machine guns.^[3][10] Most of the militants and bus passengers were killed in the fighting and explosion, including one Israeli policeman.^[3][10] A total of 37 Israelis, including 13 children, were killed and 72 were wounded; Mughrabi and nine other militants died as well.^[2][12] While there was not time enough to order up special Israeli antiterrorist squads before the confrontation, and the Israeli rescue attempt was reportedly led by some 30 "terrified traffic cops",^[13][10] other reports say that Ehud Barak, then an officer in the Sayeret Matkal anti-terrorism unit, led the rescue operation. According to Hugh Macleod, a British journalist, there are reports of images of him firing shots into her dead body as it lay on the road.^[3][14][15]

The attack became known as the Coastal Road massacre. In response, Israel launched Operation Litani against PLO bases in southern Lebanon three days later.

Release of remains

As part of the 2008 Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap Mughrabi's remains were supposed to be exhumed and returned to Lebanon but that never happened and Mughrabi's remains are still buried in the "numbers cemetery" where the bodies of many Palestinian militants lay.^[16]

Legacy

Among Palestinians, Mughrabi is a popular figure that is viewed as a heroine and martyr in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine.^[17][18] Among Israelis, she is viewed as a terrorist who was responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the State of Israel.^[11]

Numerous Palestinian sites and institutions, including a few inaugurated by the Palestinian Authority, bear her name, including a public square, a computer center, soccer tournament, and summer camp.^[1][19] The dedication of the public square the city of al-Bireh was controversial. It was initially scheduled for March 2010 on the 32nd anniversary of the Coastal Road attack, and would also have coincided with a visit to the region by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.^[20][21] Public condemnation came from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, who said the honoring of Mughrabi was anti-Israel incitement that "encourages terrorism",^[1] and United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who said such actions were "provocations... needlessly inflaming tensions and imperiling prospects for a comprehensive peace."^[5] The mayor of el-Bireh declined to comment and apparently was not involved.

The event was officially delayed but dozens of Palestinian students from Fatah's youth division and a senior Fatah official gathered at the square.^[1] A few days later Fatah officials held an official ceremony inaugurating the square in her name. In addition, the PA launched a seminar called "Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Camp," to be held in Jericho.^[20]

See also

• Leila Khaled
• Abu Jihad
• Palestinian political violence

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kershner, Isabel (2010-03-11). "Palestinians Honor a Figure Reviled in Israel as a Terrorist". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/world/middleeast/12westbank.html. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Suicide missions in the Palestinian area: a new database by Luca Ricolfi and Paolo Campana
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Black, Ian; McLeod, Hugh (2010-03-11). "Israel-Hizbullah prisoner exchange: profiles". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/16/lebanon.israelandthepalestinians1. 
4. ^ Peteet, Julie (1992), Gender in Crisis: Women and the Palestinian Resistance Movement, Columbia University Press, p. 155, http://books.google.com/books?id=wopfWwEV6EAC&pg=PA155 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Israel Balks as Palestine Honors Militants". CBS News. 2010-03-24. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/24/world/main6328654.shtml. Retrieved 2010-06-25. 
6. ^ ^{a b} al Amir, Khitam (2008-07-15). "Palestinian Dalal Al Mughrabi's body to be handed over to Hezbollah". Gulf News. http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/palestinian-dalal-al-mughrabi-s-body-to-be-handed-over-to-hezbollah-1.118415. 
7. ^ Tveit, Odd Karsten (1985) (in Norwegian). Nederlag. Israels krig i Libanon. Cappelen. p. 23. ISBN 82-02-09346-5. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Israelis forced my sister to carry out attack in 1978" – Ali Waked – YNET news
9. ^ ^{a b c d} Issacharoff, Avi (2009-08-05). "Coastal Road terrorist refuses to apologize, says peace 'important'". Ha'aretz. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/coastal-road-terrorist-refuses-to-apologize-says-peace-important-1.281409. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "A Sabbath of Terror". Time. 1978-03-20. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919454,00.html. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} PA won't honor terrorist, for now by Ali Waked in YNET.
12. ^ "Dead Palestinian militant clouds peace efforts". Associated Press. 2010-03-24. http://www.salon.com/wires/world/2010/03/24/D9EKVP2O0_ml_israel_palestinians_militant_glorified/index.html. 
13. ^ "Tragedy of errors". Time (magazine) March 27, 1978. 1978-03-27. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916011,00.html?promoid=googlep. Retrieved 2008-06-01. 
14. ^ Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap - Hugh McLeod - San Francisco Gate
15. ^ Who’s who of the prisoner swap - Zahra Hankir and Sharad Venkat - NOW Lebanon
16. ^ "Body of female fighter returned". The National Post. 2008-07-17. http://www.nationalpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=661507. ^{[dead link]}
17. ^ al Amir, Khitam (2008-07-15). "Palestinian Dalal Al Mughrabi's body to be handed over to Hezbollah". Gulf News. http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/palestinian-dalal-al-mughrabi-s-body-to-be-handed-over-to-hezbollah-1.118415. "'Point your guns in only one direction- your enemy – Israel,' exhorted Dalal Al Mughrabi in her final wish just before she laid down her life for Palestine... According to her mother, who was speaking to an Arabic TV channel "Dalal will never be forgotten as she will remain an admirable symbol of the Palestinian women's struggle and an example to be emulated by young Palestinian men and women who will pursue the armed struggle until the liberation of Palestine."
18. ^ PA won't honor terrorist, for now by Ali Waked in YNET: "Al-Mughrabi is a popular figure, considered by the Palestinian public to be a major hero of their struggle, with many legends linked to her name over the years."
19. ^ Marcus, Itamar; Zilberdik, Nan Jacques (2010-03-24). "Hillary Cinton's unfortunate mistake". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=171698. 
20. ^ ^{a b} Khaled Abu Toameh (2010-03-15). "Fatah holds ceremony naming square after terrorist". The Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=171031. 
21. ^ "PA cancels ceremony honoring hijacker". JTA. 2010-03-11. http://www.jta.org/news/article/2010/03/11/1011033/pa-cancels-ceremony-honoring-hijacker. 

External links

• Time magazine article
• (Arabic) AlShamsi.Net article

Persondata
Name	Mughrabi, Dalal
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1959
Place of birth
Date of death	1978
Place of death