Muhammad Zaidan - PLF Leader

PLF Leader

Since its inception in 1977, the Abbas-led P.L.F. was a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and received support from both the P.L.O. and Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. Unlike the P.F.L.P.-G.C., the PLF has supported peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Zaidan was elected to the Executive Committee of the PLO in 1984 and represented the Palestinian National Council (P.N.C.) in 1989 during peace negotiations with Israel. Although Zaidan was wanted by Israel for his involvement in guerrilla attacks against Israel (including attacks against civilians) throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Israel allowed him to travel freely in the Gaza Strip throughout the 1990s because he supported the peace negotiations. One notable attack by the PLF under Zaidan's leadership resulted in the murders of Danny Haran (age 28) and his two daughters, Einat (4) and Yael (2) in April 1979 in their Nahariya, Israel home by Samir Kuntar.