PALESTINE LIBERATION ARMY (PLA)

Rare press photographs of the PLA in training.

13 press photographs of the Palestine Liberation Army, dated 31 December 1969 and 4 February 1970, various sizes (two large 260 x 203 mm., the others approx. 180 x 132 mm.), most with typescript descriptions to versos, stamps and serial numbers of various British and American press agencies. (Some light marginal creasing, but overall in very good condition.)

The PLA was founded as the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) during the 1964 Arab League summit held in Alexandria, Egypt. At that time the PLO was effectively under the control of the Arab states, in particular Nasser’s Egypt. As a result, the PLA has never been under effective PLO control, but has always been controlled by its various host governments, usually Syria.

Although Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction managed to gain control of the PLO in 1968-1969, after the discrediting of the Arab states’ military after the Six-Day War, the PLA – although nominally under the command of the PLO’s Military Dept., remained outside the PLO’s control.

The collection is sold with a further 15 images, mainly of prominent Palestinians, including Yasser Arafat, Basel Amin Aql, Ahmed El-Shukairy, Issam Sartawi, George Habash, and others.